The twelfth Mutant
by LeDiz
Summary: Pietro has decided that Lance is irritating with Kitty, and Kurt deserves a good luck. Read as you will. He enlists Tabitha, and the torture begins... Heh heh... Yeah I am back with this... Double post... new attmept...
1. The idea

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Yeah, I'm back… and so is… you know… =sigh= Moving along.

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DISCLAIMER: Superstar!

########===#######

Jess put her head in her palms and stared across the football field to where Kurt and Scott were talking. She knew the entire conversation, or what it probably was, by heart.

"Seen Jean?"

"No, why?"

"I can't believe her. I bet she's with Duncan again."

"Dude, she can't be with Duncan."

"Why not?"

"Cause he's over there with the rest of the jocks."

"Oh." at this point, Scott would pause, turn, and glare in that general direction for a moment. "She went out with him on Saturday."

"Ja."

"I can't believe she would stoop that low to get back at me."

"Why would she want to get back at you?"

"Taryn, of course."

They had obviously reached another stand still in the conversation, because Scott threw up his hands and walked a few feet away.

Jessica Simmins, the empathetic irritant, had a desire to fulfill her duty as matchmaker with him before the end of the week. That meant either getting Jean to admit her undying love or making sure Scott saw another, far easier, girl.

This was not going to be easy.

She sighed and let her eyes lock back on to Kurt. Kurt was one who refused to let her work with him and as always accusing her of using her powers. But he was her favourite person to watch. He had the most incredibly interesting relationships of anyone.

In love with Kitty, but she was with Lance, so he was very good 'friends' with Tabitha. Those two could have been a beautiful couple, but noooo. They had to keep it physical, didn't they? He was best friend and confidant to about three people, but what he was known best for was distracting people from their problems.

God, but Jess wanted to play with his emotions!

At that point, Kurt stumbled forward as Tabitha hit him from behind.

########===#######

"Kurt!"

"Ughff!" Kurt instinctively moved his hands back to catch Tabitha's legs and hefted her so the piggyback was easier on both of them. "Tabby!"

"Nice catch."

"Danke. Now, d'you mind? Scott and I are talking." He said, looking over his shoulder at her.

She shrugged and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Fearless Leader won't mind me listening. Will you, Scooter?"

Scott frowned at her. "It's Scott."

"Yeah, Scooter." Grinned Tabitha. "Now, c'mon. Gimme gossip! Let's go!"

"Get off, Tabs." Said Kurt, releasing her legs so she slid down, half choking him in the process.

Setting her feet on the ground, Tabitha just slunk around to face his front and smiled coyly. "Well, Scott gets you at home. I never get to play with you."

"That's not what I hear." Muttered Scott, smirking at Kurt over her head.

"Oh, clappe." He groaned. "Tabs, I'll talk to you next session."

"But I want Elf now." She said, pulling him forward by the shirt. "You gonna deny me that?"

"Ja, I am." He grinned, but set his hands on her hips all the same. "Scott's more important than you, sorry."

"Well, if you're really into that sorta thing…" she leered back at Scott. "Fearless Leader can join in if he wants."

Scott blanched, but Kurt just laughed. "I don't share well. Not with guys anyway. Sorry. But all the same? Friends over smokers any day."

"Uh!" she stared at him. "You're prejudiced against smokers now?"

"Yes I am."

"Well, fine then!" she pushed away from him. "I declare you officially dumped."

"My heart is breaking." He drawled.

"Good."

"Uh huh."

"Goodbye forever, you heartless foreigner!"

"Bye."

She flicked him off and waved to Scott, then started back toward the school. The two boys watched her, then Kurt turned back to Scott. "So. What were you saying about Algebra?"

"I'm going to ask you once more. What the hell is with you and Tabitha?"

He grinned. "Me and Tabitha? Not much." He said, looking back at her. "It's kind of… well… I'm not sure. We're just friends. That… meet in the Chemistry cupboard."

Scott snorted. "That's disgusting."

"Ja… but at least I know where I stand with her." Said Kurt. "If ever I wanted to give it up, all I'd have to do is tell her. Same with her. I don't have to second guess anything with Tabby."

"This is about Kitty, isn't it?" Scott crossed his arms, watching Kurt's face carefully.

He shrugged. "It used to be. Tabby was there when Kitty wasn't. Now… now it just is."

Scott laughed. "If only Jean were that easy."

"If Jean was that easy you wouldn't be interested. Admit it." Grinned Kurt, nudging him. "You like the chase."

"Oh yes." Scott said flatly. "Please Jean. Run from me. I do so enjoy it."

"You like me running from you?"

Both boys froze, then turned slowly. Jean and Rogue were standing behind them, both looking highly confused.

"Jean!"

"Rogue?"

"Scott. Kurt." Rogue raised her eyebrows. "Where's the cookie jar?"

"Huh?"

Jean waved it off. "What were you talking about?"

"You know what, Scott?" Kurt grabbed Rogue's arm and started walking backwards. "We have History. See you later?"

"But- Kurt- you can't-"

"Ja, I can. You're better off without me, mein Herr!" he sang.

Scott glared at him as he left. "D.R. after school! You, me, and ten Wolverines!"

"Got drama club, sorry dude!"

Jean let Scott seethe for ten seconds, then stared at him. "So… this is about… what?"

########===#######

Kurt and Gary exchanged glances and sighed.

"They're never gonna get it." Groaned Gary.

"They might… if we can get Pietro off the bird cage." Reasoned Samuel.

"And get Lance in the bird cage." Added Kurt. "Which is not going to happen. Dude, I'm telling you. Oberon or not, Lance is not doing that."

"What about Kitty?"

"What are you talking about?"

Rogue and Todd looked at each other and grinned. The actors were not making it easy for the backstage crew, of which Kurt was a part. They were a month from performing A mid-Summer Night's Dream, but Lance, even though he was playing king of the fairies, was refusing point blank to almost all the things he was supposed to do. Rogue and Todd were living up any minute they had free of being servants and men with donkey-heads respectively.

"Hey guys! What's up?" asked Jess, appearing beside them. "Any new crushes I should know about?"

She stared at her, then her eyes narrowed. "You didn't."

"Didn't what?" asked Jess. "Oh, no. No, I haven't touched your love drive in like a month. I was wondering if you wanted to get back with Pietro?"

Todd snickered. "Yo, Jess, not gonna happen."

"It better not." Growled Rogue, rubbing her knuckles.

Jess held up her hands. "Fine, fine. It's just that… you were so cute and I feel so responsible for you two."

"You were!"

"I wasn't!" she sighed, then looked sideways at Lance and Kitty, tickling each other with feathers from the prop box. "Anyway… what's the story with Lance and Kitty?"

"there's a story?" asked Todd. He looked around at them. "Aside from Romeo and Juliet the modern day drama?"

"Wow, he's been paying attention in English." Said Jess.

"Leave off." Growled Rogue. "Now what are you talking about?"

"They're giving off waves of boredom over there, but they look all 'oh Lance, take me now'. So, I was just wondering if you knew what the real truth was?"

"No idea. Far as I know, they're hopelessly in love." Rogue shrugged and flicked over a few pages of her script. "But, knowing them, they're probably due for another breakup this week."

Jess grinned. "Really?"

"Don't you dare do anything." Snapped Rogue, pointing her finger at a point between Jess's eyebrows. "No match making. No powers. No hinting to them that they deserve better."

She held up her hands again. "Rogue, sugar. Would I ever do anything like that if someone told me not to? And Kurt did tell me. Fifty times." She added, irritated.

"You would, you have, you will." Said Todd, matter of factly.

"I won't! No matchmaking of the powered or old-fashioned kind. I will not hint. I will not talk to them at all. Brownies' promise!"

They glared at her for several moments. "So why are you here?"

"I want gossip, that's all." She turned her gaze to Kurt. "Besides, I'm more interested in Scott and little Miss Perfect this week. But while we're talking… any news on the Kurt to Tabitha front?"

Rogue and Todd looked at each other, then turned and walked away.

Jess rolled her eyes. Why didn't anyone trust her? One stupid little accident and none of them believed her anymore. Okay, so it wasn't so little… and it was more like three accidents… but it was one time!

She shoved her hands in her pockets and moved on, only to be hailed by Kurt. "Hey, Jess, you seen Pietro in the last ten minutes?"

"Uhh… practicing lines with Zoe and Mason in the birdcage."

"And have you learnt your lines yet?"

"What? All five of them? How can you expect me to have-"

He closed his eyes. "Clappe. Can you tell Pietro he can keep the cage?"

"I can." She nodded and turned toward backstage.

########===#######

Tabitha yawned and almost collapsed onto the table. "Remind me to never, ever, ever drink bourbon again."

"Morning."

She grinned at him from the bed her arms made. "I had so much fun last night. Being single is a lot better than I remember."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "It was a Thursday."

"My addiction does not know the days of the week." She said, pulling her cigarettes from her back pocket. "Much like my other addictions."

"Ugh. Take 'em outside, Tabby." He groaned, waving his hand.

She lit one, pulled on it, and blew the smoke at him. "No."

"They are disgusting. Have them be gone. Now."

"Pietro, get with it. You're a bad guy. You're meant to smoke." She grinned.

He raised an eyebrow. "The girls prefer nons." He said. "So I see it as an investment NOT to smoke."

"Yeah… same with guys, apparently. I had to dump Kurt again yesterday because he doesn't like it." She said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should buy extra strengths to annoy him."

Pietro zipped into the chair beside her and leaned forward. "Your thing with fuzzball isn't real, right?"

"As far as I know."

"So if he were to start going out with someone else… you wouldn't care."

She raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Pietro, honey, this is going to come as a shock, but Kurt doesn't swing that way."

"You are so funny."

"You sure you don't want a smoke, Pie?" she asked, offering the pack. "No, I probably wouldn't care. But as it's not going to happen… why?"

He stared at her. "You do know about the thing with Pryde, right?"

She nodded. "Who doesn't? He'd kill to have that chicken lay his eggs."

"That has to be the weirdest saying I've ever heard." Said Todd, coming through the kitchen door. He headed straight for the fridge and started hunting.

Pietro smirked, then leaned closer. "Feel like torturing Lance?"

"What?"

He put an arm around her shoulder and leaned close to whisper. "Okay. Lance acts like an idiot when he's thinking about Kitty. And he's always thinking about Kitty. That can't possibly be good for the Brotherhood image."

"Uh huh…" she nodded slowly.

"And poor old fuzzball, he's been having a rough time with the jocks these days, he deserves a good luck."

"That L was meant to be something else, wasn't it?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "And that is a total insult to me, you son of a bitch."

"Hey!" he laughed, taking the punch easily. "Calm down, I was trying to win you over. Now, Lance hates fuzzball. Imagine how much it would suck to lose your girl to your worst enemy."

Tabitha glared at him, then smiled slowly. "Lance does deserve something of a reality check, doesn't he?"

"Exactly."

"There's just one problem." She said, carefully.

"What's that?"

She crossed her arms. "I lose my Chemistry lessons."

"You don't take-" began Todd, but he stopped himself, his face scrunching up in disgust. "Oh, yuck. I am never touching beakers again, yo…"

Pietro brightened again. "I just thought of that. Lance will need someone to buddy up with on those cold, lonely nights."

She sat back, thinking. After a full five minutes, in which Pietro had left and come back again, she sighed. "And I want an hour every night in the TV room- on… my… own."

Pietro nodded. "Fine with me."

"Not with me, yo!" cried Todd, waving his toast. "That room's my main source of entertainment!"

Ignoring him, Pietro stuck out his hand and Tabitha reached up to shake it.

########===#######

Scott closed his locker, then looked to the side. "Oh, it's you. Kurt?"

Tabitha grinned at Scott, then looked past him to Kurt. She looked very determined.

He smiled charmingly. Scott groaned inwardly. Here we go… These two needed a hobby. "Fraulein Smith. To what do I owe the disgrace?"

"Just wanted to ask you something. Can we make this official?" she asked.

He stared at her. "Official? Make what official?"

"The break up yesterday." She cocked her head to the side, chewing her lip. "Only I had a conversation with someone, and, well, you're not too good for my popularity standings."

Scott scratched his head. He'd never heard this one before.

Kurt blinked, his mouth falling open slightly. "V- y- v- you what?"

"Yeah. It's like that, isn't it? And well… you know how it is. The boarding house, the mansion? They don't go together too well. As a matter of fact, I think this is for the best. Besides, Blue, I'm afraid blue isn't really my colour."

"So no more… you mean… you and me… we're not…?"

"No, we're not." She agreed. "You were a great fashion accessory. But time moves on. Style changes. Blue was definitely six months ago. So um… yes. I have to go shopping for Earth style now. See you." She smiled at them both, then turned on her heel and all but ran down the corridor.

Scott turned to Kurt, who was staring, open mouthed, after her. He clicked his fingers in front of his face. "Yo, Kurt, you in there?"

"That… Scott, that was serious." Mumbled Kurt, pointing after her. He looked up at him incredulously. "I was just dumped."

"I wish. Kurt, the two of you always break up with each other, right? It's not that funny any more." He said simply.

Kurt tried to laugh, failing miserably. "Scott, I'm telling you. When we do the 'break up'? We… insult… each other… that… there was no insulting! None!" he ran a hand through his hair. "Dude! I was just dumped."

Scott chuckled. "Okay, now it's getting funny."

"It's not funny, man." He said. "Tabitha –Take me I'm yours, Tabitha– Smith just dumped me. This really… kinda hurts."

He laughed. "Kurt, c'mon, you've got Biology. Better move."

"But-"

"Look, buddy, you don't really have a huge problem here. I say you go talk to her at lunch or something. Get it sorted. Stop gaping like a fish."

Kurt blinked, closed his mouth, then nodded. "Yeah… ja, you're right. I'll… I'll talk to her later. See ya later."

"Bye."

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Hm… not my best. But there you are. I'm not a comedy writer.

Yo! Just to catch you up if you haven't read any of Lediz's other Jess-shakespeare. Jess, I'm ashamed to say, is my creation. She's probably at least half Mary-Sue, but the difference is, not only is she not a main character so much as a plot device, but I and most of the characters don't like her. She can read and implant (or take away) emotion, but she kinda sucks at it. So… yeah.

See you next chapter!


	2. The introduction

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DISCLAIMER: Unleashed?

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Reviewers- did you know, that all of you rock to high heaven? I need to stop saying rock. But you do. And you should know this. And be proud. I hail and worship you. Moving on…

Oh, and the monkeys and ninjas will never be tamed. You must realise this.

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Jess was busy with a border around her master plan of Scott and Jean's wedding reception when she heard Pietro whispering at Kitty. She raised an eyebrow and leaned onto her left arm to hear the better.

"Kitty. Hey, hey Kitty!"

"What? Would you shut up, some of us are like, trying to work here."

"You work in free periods?"

"And there is so much else to do."

That fazed him for a second, before he leaned forward again. "Hey, Kitty, can I talk to you?"

"No! You're like, gonna get me chucked out of the library here! Shh!"

Pietro clenched his teeth and opened his notebook. He tore out a page and started scribbling.

Jess put the final flourishes on her border, then stood up and stretched. She moved to sit beside Pietro. "Hey, speedy."

"Hey." He said, then folded the paper and passed it to Kitty.

"What's this? Passing love notes? Can I read?"

He smirked at her. "I don't need notes to get a girl's attention."

"You do with me, honey." She smiled back. "So what're you doing?"

"Wouldn't even want you, Jess. I do not see Todd as being my next Valentine, thanks all the same. But since you asked…" he grinned over at Kitty. "Just giving a bit of friendly advice to a fellow lost soul."

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you up to, Pietro Maximoff?"

"You sound suspicious, Jess. Something the matter?"

"No." she grinned and leaned forward onto her elbows. "But I want in."

He glanced over at Kitty, who had finally picked up the note and was toying with its edge, obviously debating whether to read it. "It's nothing wrong. Tabitha and I just want to help Kitty and Lance move on with their lives."

She raised her eyebrows. This was a subject Jess had often thought about. "You're breaking them up?"

"I prefer to think of the eventual outcome. The love we're nudging her towards."

"Eventual…" she blinked, then grinned. "Ooh, Pietro! Can I join? Please? I can help! Come on, you gotta let me help here."

"You don't even know what we're doing."

"You didn't either when you volunteered with the Duncan thing."

They both paused to shudder at that.

"I'm not telling you anything." He snapped.

She sighed, then stood up. "Fine. If you're not going to tell me, I'll find out later. And by the way? I happen to think that Todd deserves way better than you, so…"

His head snapped around to reply, but she just flipped him off, walking backwards toward the door.

#########===########

"Dear Kitty," read Rogue quietly. "since you won't talk, I'll just write. I am speaking with you on behalf of the entire Brotherhood of Mutants, and we are highly concerned about your current interest in our leader, one Lance Alvers, also known as Avalanche.

"Miss Pryde, it is our great sorrow to inform you of your stupidity. Although we appreciate your past with the afore mentioned Avalanche (hereafter known as subject A), and deep rooted feelings, we feel it is best you hear this information now, rather than when you have proceeded further than is possible to return.

"Subject A had been seen observing the nether regions of a great number of the opposite sex, and in many cases exploring the higher sections. We are sure you are unaware of this fact, and feel it is in your best interests to enquire Subject A with these facts.

"We also feel it is our duty to inform you of the interest shown of you by another subject, known as Nightcrawler. It has recently come to our attention that this subject is now available to take your sob story.

"You may do with this information as you wish. We appreciate your discretion.

"Yours sincerely, Pietro Maximoff." Rogue looked up from the page and cleared her throat. "Well. Kitty."

Kitty shook her head, radiating fury. "I like, talked to Lance about it in Chemistry, you know? And the bastard denied it all! Can you believe him? On top of everything else, he's lying to me!"

Scott and Rogue exchanged bored glances. "Kitty, have you ever thought that maybe Pietro was lying?"

She snorted. "Please. It's such a bad lie that it has to be true. Have you ever heard anything more unbelievable in your life? Quicksilver's smart enough to come up with something better than this!"

Rogue nodded. "She's got a point."

"You knew him for a week." Said Scott.

"Two, actually." She replied, then looked up as Kurt sat down beside her. "Hey, you're late."

He shrugged, staring at his tray like he'd forgotten how to eat. "Had something to do first."

Scott looked over. "And the story is…"

"I'll tell you later."

#########===########

Jess leant her lead against her locker as she started turning the dial. "Three six nine…"

God, being an empath sucked. Teenagers in general sucked. Life sucked. Being at school was so incredibly depressing. It was like being on some kind of drug. Life was a constant up and down, and the only way to survive it was live on some unnatural high.

She pulled open the door and looked inside.

Or a natural one. She needed to spend some time with the hyperactive people of the world. Like Tabitha, or Kurt. Nah, he was a jerk. Go back to Tabitha.

She swapped her maths textbook for an American History one and gazed at the cover. "If I were a Tabitha, where would I be?"

At this time of day, at the Brotherhood lunch table or under the bleachers somewhere in a compromising position.

She grinned. Go the bleachers.

#########===########

She stared. Tabitha wasn't under the bleachers, but alone, on top, and radiating depression, mutant powers aside.

"Hey there." She called. "Clear to come up?"

Tabitha glanced down at her and shrugged. "Sure. If you aren't looking for a good time."

"Well, actually, I was, but hearing about other people's problems cheers me up, hooray." Said Jess, climbing the stairs toward her. "Where's Blue?"

She sighed. "I just told him to fuck off like ten minutes ago."

Jess cringed. "Why?"

"I dumped him this morning and he wouldn't get the hint." She said, in a quasi-offhand voice. "So I put it in terms he could understand and he got the picture."

"You. You dumped Kurt? For real?" Jess laughed. "Yeah, sure."

Tabitha shook her head. "Real as I can be. I'm not interested in what he's got anymore. I've got my own interests."

Jess raised an eyebrow, annoyed. "Okay, Tabby? Lying to me on matters like this? Not so good for your future prospects."

"Oh, you think I'm upset abut him?" she said, forcing surprise. "Hell no. I… was talking to… the new interest… and… he's not interested in what I've got. Kinda depressing."

Jess accepted her story and sighed. "Why'd you dump Kurt? I thought you really liked him."

"I did. He's a great guy and everything. But… to tell you honest?" she leaned closer. "He's a bit pathetic, you know? Such a goody-two-shoes? And he lies about everything when you ask him something personal. And besides, he's so totally got it hot for Miss Perky Pryde."

"So what? He's really into you, Tabs."

"Well he shouldn't be." She said forcefully. "Cause I'm not into him anymore. And I'm not gonna be his waiting room while Kitty's busy." She smiled as she stood up. "And maybe this is for the best, you know? I hear Kitty's looking in new territory these days. Maybe he should have a look himself." She started down the stairs of the bleachers.

Jess frowned. Something in that entire conversation felt off. And it was getting worse the longer she sat there. She looked around, and, realising she was completely alone, started toward the school herself.

Man. Tabitha was serious. She wanted Kurt and Kitty to get together. Weird.

It really didn't compute. But she felt bad for Kurt. Jerk he may be, but Jess was a matchmaker if nothing else. The romantic side of all people was her duty to protect, and dammit, Kurt should be heart broken!

There was only one cure for a broken heart.

A new love interest!

But then, Kurt wasn't the type to rebound. If he really still liked someone, then he'd stick with that person.

Made it fairly irritating to have to fix.

Unless, of course, he was to stop liking the first person, then, well, he was easy game.

Her mission was clear.

She had to break the rules.

Honest! She had to…

#########===########

Kurt sighed as he collapsed into the passenger seat beside Scott, throwing his head back against the headrest. "I don't care what you say, I'm sleeping until Danger Room."

Scott shook his head. "Come on. You know sleep fogs the brain. Can't have you slow on the reaction times."

"To hell with it. I'm so verdamnt tired…"

"Kurt, your strengths are defensive, that means you've got to be at top physical condition at all times. If you can't deal with a little tiredness during training…"

It just went on and on. Kurt was sure he was trying to listen, but for some reason, the words just weren't quite reaching him. It felt kind of floaty. Huh. Can't have eaten enough calories. Or maybe he was getting sick. Cool. Then he could miss a few days of school and avoid Tabitha.

That had been embarrassing. Or it would have been if anyone had been in hearing distance. Talk about feeling of stupidity.

He rolled his head to look at Scott. He was still lecturing, but now it was directed at Kitty, about her 'defensive strengths' and why she couldn't afford to miss her extra session right after school.

On second thought… Tabitha was right, when it came down to it. They just weren't suited for each other. After all, talk about personality clash. She was kind of annoying, really. And she did almost get him killed.

What had he been doing the past few months? Tabitha was… nothing. They didn't suit each other, he didn't love her. God, he disgusted himself. He'd been inspecting the tonsils of a girl just because Kitty wasn't there. He was pathetic!

Oh well. She coerced him.

The floaty feeling had disappeared and he was forced to listen to Scott again.

"So it's clear? We're all having a study session before the DR?"

Kurt groaned. "Have I ever told you how much a I hate you, Scott?"

"Several times in the last week." He grinned.

"Verdamnt. Want to hear again?"

"Um… no."

#########===########

Tabitha leaned back against the wall. God, she felt like Hell.

"I don't believe this!" yelled Lance.

She opened one eye and listened. He'd just come home and was already raging at Pietro.

"Just because I'm looking at a few girls… I wasn't even thinking about them! I don't get it! Why is it that every time I don't worship the ground she walks on Kitty jumps down my throat! It's so frikking pathetic!"

Tabitha lurched away from the wall and walked to the door. She leant on the frame to watch.

Pietro shrugged, his palms up and smiling blandly. "The X-geeks are like that, Lance. You gotta keep 'em happy or they'll just turn on ya. We've been trying to tell you…"

"If she doesn't want me, that's fine." Said Lance, crossing his arms, irritated. "I don't give a flying. But she just make up her freaking mind!"

Tabitha cleared her throat. "Lance, honey, this is Kitty Pryde we're talking about."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, turning on her.

"Oh come on. You know what I mean." She sighed inwardly. Time to play her part. The things she did for fun. "She doesn't want you. She wants Blue. But she wants Blue in your body."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, but both she and Pietro stood their ground.

"She's right, Lance. You've just been a substitute, if you know what I mean." Continued Pietro, in a very un-Pietro-like voice. "Second choice, you know?"

Tabitha had to hide her smile at the expressions running over Lance's face. He roared and punched the wall.

"That is complete bull, and you know it! There is no way Kitty even likes that freak!"

"Maybe she just doesn't know it yet." Said Pietro. "But it's pret-ty obvious. Now that Tabby here and Blue boy are over… I bet it's only a matter of time before Kitty-cat's coughing up hairballs."

Lance clenched his teeth. "It's not gonna happen. You know it. She'll come running back. You see." He turned on his heel and started toward the stairs.

"Uh huh."

Tabitha and Pietro grinned as Lance disappeared.

"Stage one… complete."

#########===#################===#################===########

Cheers to all! Sorry this took so long, but… well… yeah.


	3. The weekend

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DISCLAIMER: ~Vacation~

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(Am I noticing a pattern or what?)

Bwuh-hahahaa! All hail the might of my powers of procrastination! I dedicate this to Harry- who's given me a reason not to do Maths! Yaaaaaay!!!!

#########===#########

Kurt pushed open his door, giggling inanely. "Ich bin sehr ermüdet…"

He wandered over to his bed, weaving slightly, and collapsed face down. "Mmm… bed. I like beds. So tired… so very, very, very, very tired. Sleep now. Sleep is good."

Kitty leaned on his doorframe, smiling. "You know, Kurt, if I didn't like, know better, I'd say you were tired."

"Me? Tired? Never." He said, his voice muffled by the bedclothes.

"Can I talk to you?"

He groaned and pushed his head up, supported by his elbows.. "Is it important?"

"Not like, overly important, but I've barely had time to see you all day, y'know?"

He rolled over and smiled. "Ja, I know. Take a seat, Katzchen, and tell me all your troubles until they are gone, yes?"

"You're five seconds from being like, dead to the world, aren't you?"

He blanched. "Dead?" he repeated. "No, not dead."

She giggled. "It's an expression. Go to sleep, fuzzy, I'll see you tomorrow."

"What day is tomorrow?"

"Saturday."

"Ah. Sehr Gut. Guten nacht, Katzchen." He said, crawling up to move under his covers.

"Night, elf." She smiled, shutting the door behind her. She leaned back on it for a moment, then smiled and pushed away, walking in the direction of the kitchen.

#########===#########

"Blue boy!"

"D'aaaargh!!!"

Tabitha winced as Kurt hit the floor, hard. She crawled over to look down at him and grinned. He'd gotten tangled up in his blankets and was blinking up at her like she was a new species.

"Bad time?" she smiled, lying down.

He peered at the clock. Tabitha had turned on all his lights, but it was two forty-seven. He groaned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

"Again? We've been doing that too much today already." He said, pulling his leg out of the mess. "And every single time, I've come out worse."

Her smile faltered. "I know." She said softly, then her voice rose back its normal volume. "Well, this time, Blue, you're coming out on top. But not with me."

"Huh?"

"What d'you know, I was right- you really do have a great grasp of the English language!"

He scowled at her. "I usually speak it better than you do."

She grinned. "You and me, we may not be suited to each other as a couple, but we'd sure as hell make a great Bonnie and Clyde."

"Who? Aren't they from that-"

"It doesn't matter. Bonnie and Clyde helped each other out, y'know? And I think we can do that."

He sighed, pushing the last tangle of blankets from his tail. "Tabitha? As far as I'm concerned, you can go off a cliff in the get away car. I do not want to talk to you."

"Aw, that's harsh, Kurt, I'm hurt."

"Good."

She frowned for a second, then shook her head and sat up to see him better. "Look, we both want to gain from this, and I think we can help each other out there. You, my fine, cobalt companion-"

"I am not cobalt."

"Whatever. You, Blue boy, need to get over me." She said proudly, splaying her hand on her chest.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh good, that will have to be the first thing I do after I throw you off the balcony."

She ignored that. "And to do that, you need to start appreciating the finer things in life again, you with me so far?"

"Uh huh." He sighed.

"Now, before I came along and gave you something closely resembling a life, you had it bad for Kitty, yes?"

He nodded, walking over to the window to open them again.

"I think it's about time you started trying with her again."

He smiled, opening the doors with a flourish.

"If I remember right, you can be a real charming flirt. Maybe you should start that again."

He stared at her for a few moments, arms crossed, then smiled broadly. "You know what, Tabitha? You're right. I should. But I'm out of practice."

"Oh, I don't know about that. You used to be able to pick me up pretty well sometimes." She grinned at the memory of several lazy school days made interesting.

He walked to stand beside her. "You mean like this?" He literally swept her off her feet, one arm under her knees, the other holding her arms tight against her chest. She couldn't have moved if she'd tried. "Which was followed by a waltz of wit," he continued, dancing back to the balcony. "At which point, we would either find a science cupboard," He placed her on the railing and took one large step back inside. "-or one of us would run off. Now get lost!" He slammed the doors shut and locked them, gave her one last smile, and pulled the curtains shut.

Tabitha stared at the golden light coming from behind them, until it disappeared. She blinked several times. "Wow. That kinda hurts when he means it." She said, scratching the back of her head.

She sighed and swung over the railing to climb back down.

#########===#########

Jess banged her head on the kitchen table.

"Here, let me get that for you honey…"

"Aw, thanks, sugar. I don't deserve you."

"Of course you do! It's me who's lucky!"

Jess groaned and covered her head with her hands.

"I could never be luckier."

"Let's agree then- we're both lucky!"

"You're right, as always! I have to go. Love you!"

"Love you!"

"I think I'm going to throw up." Groaned Jess. "Could this get any cornier?"

Something that sounded remarkably like Kurt laughed in the back of her mind. _It's your fault. You're the one who made them like this!_

Finally the front door closed and Jess sat up. She loved the fact her parents worked on Saturdays. "They're getting worse." She sighed. "I thought I was fixing it."

She bit into her toast and glared at the fridge. "It could always be worse… they could be screaming at each other." She chewed slowly, thinking whether that was true.

The phone rang and she looked at it, willing it to fly to her hand. Oddly, it didn't work. She sighed and picked up the receiver. "Yellow? The sad and the bored, you've reached the both, how may I help you?"

There was silence for a second, until Kitty coughed. "Okay. Hi Jess."

She blinked. Kitty didn't like her. Kitty shouldn't have been calling her.

Weird.

"Uh. Hi. How are you?"

"Yeah, that's great, Jess, but have you got a minute?"

She rolled her eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if you've been paying attention to Lance lately? See, I got this like, note thing from Pietro yesterday? You were there, do you know what it said?"

"No, I-"

"It said Lance was totally checking out other girls! And then Lance said he wasn't, but of course I couldn't believe him, so I dumped him. But now that I've slept on it, I'm thinking that maybe he was like, telling the truth?"

"Uh huh. And this has what to do with me?"

"So I asked Jean if he was or not and she didn't get why she would know, and I told her that a telepath would know, and she got like, all offended!"

"I still don't… oh." Jess sighed. "You want me to see how he feels about all this?"

"Duh! How does he feel about me? You know, stuff like that!"

"You are so using me, aren't you?"

"You owe me!" cried Kitty.

"How do I-? Oh, for God's sake- will you just forget about that?!"

"Jessica!"

She sighed and cradled her head in her free hand. "Okay, I'll tell you this. I know that on Thursday, you and Lance were completely bored with each other, weren't interested, blah, blah, blah." She nudged her toast non-commitedly. "I don't think you're destined to be right now, if that's what you want to hear."

"No! That is so not what I wanted to hear!" yelled Kitty. "Was he cheating on me?"

"How the hell would I know?"

"Je-ess!"

"Ki-tty!" she mimicked, getting annoyed. She'd never liked how Kitty treated the men in her life. She'd never been too happy with Kitty in general. Who was she to accuse Lance of cheating? "Will you stop doing this? For crying out loud, Kitty, go find a new man to live it up with! If Lance is cheating on you, well good for him! I'll pay for the next date! Now go annoy someone who has the time to listen to you!" she slammed the phone down and slumped back across the table in her seat, glaring at the fridge anew.

#########===#########

Kitty blinked at the receiver. "Jeez. Talk about bitchy."

"Common trait in your species." Said Kurt, leaning on the counter beside her. "Present company excluded."

She grinned. "Thanks."

"Welcome. What was that about?"

"Oh, just Lance being a bastard…" she waved it off and turned toward him. "So what are you up to today?"

"I don't know." He said, glancing at the clock. It was almost twelve, but he'd only woken up at ten thirty. "I was going to spend the day with Tabitha, but that's obviously a no go."

"Same here, but with Lance." She sighed, then smiled. "How about we spend the day together?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You know, hang out and stuff? Like we used to!"

He smiled. "Katzchen, you aren't asking me on a date, are you?"

"Like, no!" she giggled. "But we used to hang out together all the time. Come on and take me to one of those boring old movies you like so much."

"Boring old movies?" he gasped, grabbing his chest. "How dare you! Katzchen, I'm wounded!"

"Well they are!" she said.

He shook his head. "The movies I watch may be old, but they are certainly not boring. How many sword fights do you see everyday? How often does Scott rescue a damsel in distress?"

"All the time! And what's Scott got to do with anything?"

"He's the dashing hero!" grinned Kurt.

"And I'm…?"

"The damsel, of course."

"And you?"

"Am not in the movie." He said in mock-sorrow. "Unless you need a tragic monster to guide Scott's way, of course."

Kitty giggled. "Whatever. I'll make some popcorn and you go find the most sword-fighter-ey movie you have."

"Hmm." Kurt eyed her suspiciously. "How about you go get the movie and I make the popcorn?"

"Ku-urt!" she stamped her foot and glared at him. "How can I screw up popcorn?"

"I've tasted your version of popcorn, Katze. It involves nothing but the corn." He shook his head. "You need butter, at least."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What movie should I get?"

"Uhh…" he blinked, then grinned. "Anything to the left of the Robin Hood is good. Just pick a favourite and go."

She shrugged. "Okay."

#########===#########

By Monday morning, they'd managed to get through half a shelf of Kurt's DVDs. Kitty was even starting to know the actors.

"Have at thee, vile villain!" she cried, pointing her ruler at Kurt's locker.

He pulled his head out of it to look at her. "Good. Now put on the corny English accent, grow a moustache and put some socks down your tights and you'll be set." He said, shutting the door.

"Eew." She giggled. "I'll stick with Maid Marian, then."

"Kludges madchen." He grinned and grabbed her around the waist, spinning on the spot. "Then I shall induce a Robin Hood costume and we shall be destined by the stars!"

She laughed and hugged him. "Thanks for the weekend, Kurt. I forgot to tell you yesterday."

He raised his eyebrows. "Thanks for what weekend?"

"I had a really great time, and it kept my mind off stuff I didn't want to think about… and I'd forgotten how much fun you can be."

He smiled. "And you say my movies are corny."

"Kurt, I'm being serious." She said, hitting his arm playfully. "You're a great guy, you know that?"

He laughed. "We've been living together for how long and you've only JUST figured this out?"

"Grr! Leave me alone!" she laughed, then hugged him again. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Katzchen."

#########===#########

Pietro leaned against his locker and smirked at Tabitha. "I told you."

"Yeah…" she said softly, watching the two X-men.

"That's stage two done. Now we just have to make sure Lance sees them and voila!" Pietro grinned. "Instant chaos!"

"Tell me again why you're doing this?" she looked at him suspiciously.

Pietro paused, thinking. He didn't want to tell her the real reason. It sounded pathetic. He shrugged. "Because it's fun. Lance'll go psycho and want to have a battle or something and we'll finally have something to do!" he said, then glared at her. "You aren't backing out, are ya?"

She shook her head, then looked back at Kurt. "Nah. Just… it's nothing. I've got Science. See you later, Pie-pie!" she clutched her books to her chest and walked quickly down the corridor.

#########===##################===##################===#########

__

Tabitha's not having second thoughts. No! Of course not! Hmm. Typical. Oh well.

Next chapter: The complication…


	4. The Development

DISCLAIMER: / Hot Date \

"It's a simple matter." Tabitha was saying, waving her hand at the cafeteria lunch lady. "You need to deal with like, on or two issues, Kurt."

"Ja…" he agreed absently, not listening.

"For instance, Kitty. Kitty, despite everything, is still mad for Lance. You need to make her less obsessed, right?"

"Ja…" he smiled at the lady hovering around the cashier.

"And I think you'll be able to do that with what, three days? Maybe five… let's take the safe route and give you a week. Yes. Within a week, you'll have a nice pink cat toy."

He was looking around the room for Scott. "Ja…"

"Your other problem is of course the uh… 'gifted' society." She grinned at the term. "You live with Kitty, so of course, anyone who knows the two of you will be automatically suspicious, yes?"

"Ja…" he started toward the doors, leading to the courtyard.

"And there's the reaction. Most people will be 'about time' or 'that evil bitch how could she take my man'… trust me on this one, it's not fun."

He blinked and looked at her for the first time in almost five minutes. "How would you know?"

She stared. "You don't know?" she asked, slightly open-mouthed.

"No…"

"Okay…" she shook her head, amazed, then continued on. "Or, of course, there will be a few people that say 'that blue furred X-geek, no way is he getting near my girl'."

Kurt returned to his bored stupor as he pushed the door open with his back. "Ja…"

"Which is, of course, why I'm here to help." She said, catching the door before it slammed into her face. "To keep Rocky Horror off your back."

Evan waved from their usual outside table. "Hey Kurt! Here!"

"Coming!" he yelled back.

Tabitha crossed her arms in a thinking pose. "So you have to concentrate on getting Kitty to wake up to herself, right?"

"Ja…"

"Which, when I think about it, is harder than I thought, considering the thickness of that skull…" she murmured.

"Ja- huh?"

"Ah hah! So we'll just have to make you her image of desirable!" she grinned, slamming one fist into the other.

Kurt sighed and sank into his seat beside Evan. "Make her go away."

He grinned. "And miss the next episode of Kurt's Triangle Life? Hell no!"

Scott raised an eyebrow. "You need to think on your TV show titles a little more."

"I know." He groaned.

Tabitha sat on the table beside Scott's milk. "Now Kitty's ideal man looks like Lance, with Kurt's personality and Scott's military style…"

All three boys stared at her.

"My military what?"

"Why won't you leave already?"

"What about me?" demanded Evan.

She eyed him critically. "Yeah, you're right. She'd probably go for the street style."

"Thank you." He snapped.

"Now, how do we fit all that into you?" she asked Kurt slowly.

He sighed and rested his head on his fist, looking at Scott for support. He shrugged in reply and looked to Tabitha. "Why are you so interested in Kurt and Kitty? Isn't this that Jess girl's department?"

"You'd think so." Moaned Kurt. "Maybe she died and Tabby's just channeling her spirit or something."

"We can only hope." Said Evan, raising his milk in salute.

She glared at them. "For your information, I just feel guilty leaving Kurt the way I did. Even I admit, it was kinda harsh, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes." Said Scott, without thinking.

She slapped him over the head. "You're supposed to say 'no, not really'." She snapped. "I'm just trying to be nice."

"Well, you're coming across as annoying." He replied.

She smirked. "Just giving some friendly advice. Kurt, Honey, Blue. Buy Kitty some flowers today. Make her feel really special. She'll melt like butter."

They just waited for her to get off the table. She smiled, waved, and started back into the building. Kurt pushed his chips around, picked one up and looked at it. "Think I could get away with murder if it was technically a mercy killing?"

Evan snorted. "Whose mercy?"

"Mine." He sighed.

###########====############

Jess watched her parents from the corner of her eye.

"Swing dance tickets! Oh, they're perfect!"

"And a romantic dinner after, followed by a night home alone."

"Alone?"

"I'm going to Tabitha's." she called.

"Oh. That sounds perfect, honey!"

"I knew you'd love it!"

"You know everything about me!"

Jess glared at them. '_ Tell him he's an idiot. Tell him he shouldn't have gone to so much trouble. Go on, I dare you! _'

"Of course I do! I spend so much time with you, lover!"

'_ Oh the retort to that is so easy! Come on, Mama, let's go, less lovey-dovey, let's go, come on! _'

Her mother blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Huh?" both Jess and her father stared.

"What do you mean, you spend so much time with me? Are you saying you don't want to?"

"Hah?" Jess's jaw dropped.

"Do you mean I'm smothering you? Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh, no, love, I meant… oh, no, don't cry! Lover, I wish I could spend twenty times as much time with you!"

"Really? Oh, I love you so much!"

Jess hit her head against the wall. So much for that.

###########====############

Kitty kicked at the pavement. "How come I can do great sporty stuff when I've got like, lasers and stuff firing at me, but if I'm like, perfectly calm and relaxed, I can barely sprint without falling over?!"

Kitty had decided to wait for Kurt after school, studying in the library while he waited out detention. Now they were walking home, discussing the unfairness of their 'F' subjects.

"It's a matter of necessity!" Kurt said sensibly. "And being relaxed doesn't mean you're necessarily going to be good at sports. Haven't you ever heard of body tension?"

"That's completely different. Even I know that."

He smiled sheepishly. "I was trying to make you feel better."

"I know." She sighed and looked up at the sky. "It's just aggravating."

He turned around and walked backwards a few steps, somewhat less graceful than usual. "Sports aren't that bad. You just don't get enough practice when it's just for fun."

"Sport isn't fun." She retorted.

"It can be. It is. The problem is that you see it as another subject you have to be perfect at." He said, pointing. "So you're putting pressure on yourself, which makes you make mistakes."

"Some of us weren't born to jump through hoops on command." She snapped, without thinking.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know, I only ever jumped through hoops when they were on fire, and I haven't done that since I was seven."

She grimaced. "Sorry."

"Ja, sure." He fixed a smile in place. "No problem. Look, is you were just doing sport for fun, you'd be much better at it. You're amazing whenever we play mutant ball!"

"You think so?" she smiled.

"Ja!" he smiled for real and spread his arms. "I bet you're a great cartwheeler, too."

She laughed. "Cartwheels? I haven't done them in like, years!"

"But you were good at them, weren't you!"

She grinned and shrugged. "Yeah…"

He looked around, and seeing no one, he grinned. "Do one."

"What!" she giggled. "Here?"

"Ja. Cartwheel. Here and now. Come on!"

"No way!" she walked past him, clutching her books to her chest with a laugh.

He rolled his eyes and jumped backwards into a flip, bouncing off his hands to stand in front of her again. "Dare you."

"No, Kurt. And don't flip while we're walking, it's like, totally weird."

His smile faltered slightly again, but he shook it off. "Come on, Katzchen. No one's looking!"

She looked around, then eyed him shrewdly. "If you're hiding a camcorder, so help me…"

"Promise I'm not!" he grinned and wrenched her books from her arms.

She laughed and peeled off her bag, handing it to him. "Okay, but I'm warning you, I'll probably fall flat on my face."

He just grinned in reply. She took a deep breath and walked back a few steps, then ran past him and jumped into a round off, landing in the fashion of all six year old girls, arms spread above her head, feet in third position and grinning for an invisible camera.

She immediately turned and burst out laughing. "I can't believe I just did that! How lousy was that?" she giggled, hiding her mouth.

He clapped as well as he could with his arms full. "It was perfekt!" he said. "I knew there was a gymnast in you somewhere."

She laughed. "Flatterer."

"Not this time. It was really good, Kitty." He said, shaking his head. "The ending was a little over the top, but hey, you're a girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she cried, poking him.

"Nothing…" he smiled as she took her bag back. "Just girls like to show off."

"And you don't, you big ham?"

He just smiled.

She smiled back and took his hand. "And don't think you're ever seeing that again. It was a one time performance, never to be repeated."

He blinked at the sudden handhold. "Uh…" he coughed. "Oh. Ja. Um… heh. We will see, Katzchen."

"Yeah, right." She grinned, pulling him faster.

###########====############

Pietro grinned and ducked back down behind the fence beside Todd. "Finally."

"What?" Todd opened one eyes lazily. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, yeah." Pietro waved him off impatiently.

"So what were you doing?" he asked, yawning as he stood.

The taller teenager rubbed his knuckles. "Finding out how to get the two hairballs together."

"Fuzzbutt and Beast?"

Pietro rolled his eyes. "You do have a brain somewhere in there, at least try and use it."

Todd blinked for a moment. "…Kitty…?"

"Yes!"

He sighed. "Oh."

"And I've finally got the missing ingredient! Fuzzball's good at sports, Kitty-Kat isn't. It's perfect. Like a study date, without the study!" he cackled. "Perfection…"

"Uh huh."

"And Tabitha was saying there was no method to my madness." Sighed Pietro in mock sadness. "I've found the answer to my equation! Hail me, Toad, for I am a genius."

"Uh huh. I don't see why it matters to you anyway." Said Todd. "You don't like either of them, and Lance is just going to be in a lousy mood when he sees them together."

"Ah, yes, but he'll be single!"

"And this matters because…"

"Because it's how the Brotherhood should be!" he cried, staring down at him. "All for one and one for all! No attachments! No family but each other, nothing to distract us, a real, honest Brotherhood!"

Todd sighed and nodded. "Yah huh." He followed Pietro down the alleyway. "Yo, I think you just want Lance for yourself."

"Okay, one: ew." Said Pietro, holding up one finger. "Two: I just explained my reasons. Three: Tabitha's the one who's going to be keeping him happy. Four: Even if I was into guys, I can do way better. Five: Yuck."

Todd chuckled. "So why are you getting them together and not just breaking the Romeo and Juliet up, yo?"

He shrugged. "I like to finish what I start, I guess."

"Works for me."


	5. The truth?

Sorry this took so long guys, but you will not believe all the problems I've had lately. But yes. Now I've got a new computer, figured stuff out, and I can get around to doing stuff! Hooray!

****

DISCLAIMER: Hey, does anyone remember this song from when they were little- "the little blue man" that scared her right out of her wits? I can remember the chorus and two lines, but nothing else… most irritating.

##########====###########

__

"Are you insane?"

"You always ask me that."

"You never answer."

"You're DRIVING me insane."

A thick finger poked her side. "Oh, come on. You were insane long before you met me."

"Fine then." She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in silky hair. "You're driving me sane."

"Uh oh. I may have to get rid of you when that happens."

"Then we should make the best of what we've got, yes?"

A silver bullet when flying past her ear, bounced off her friend's head, then flew to stay over the head of a small cat, all alone and licking its paws. Her friend glanced at the cat, then back at her.

The bullet somehow spoke. "Come ON, Tabitha. You're one of us! We can be alone together! We don't have to change at all!"

She nodded and pushed her friend toward the cat. "I'll always be here when it's all over."

The cat leapt into her friend's arms and glared at her. "But it isn't over. It isn't going to end this time."

Tabitha opened her eyes and stared at her alarm clock. "What the hell…?" she whispered.

##########====###########

Tabitha sighed and nestled her chin on her forearms. She was in the park, listening to the rehearsal/gymnastics lesson going on behind the water fountains.

"Okay. Try this scene aGAIN. I don't get it, Katze. You know this. Okay. Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry 'cuckoo' never so?"

Kitty prepared for another failed back flip "I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again. Mine ear is –ugh- much enamoured of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape, and thy fair virtue's force- perforce- doth –ow- move me, on the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee."

Kurt nodded, waving his head slightly. "Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that, blah, blah, blah, nay, I can gleek upon occasion."

"Thou art wise as thou art beautiful." Said Kitty, falling to the ground again.

"Not so, blah, I have enough to serve mine own turn."

She grimaced and sat up, staring at him to try and remember the passage. "Out of this wood do not desire to go… uh… uhm… d'yai… I… I love you Kurt, and you should know!" she threw up her hands, giggling. "I can't get it."

He flopped down beside her and sighed into the grass. "Why is it, Kitty, you can know all of this perfectly when you're sitting beside Gary in line run, but as soon as you get outside the drama block you're like this?"

"It's not like, when I'm outside the drama room, it's when I'm with you!" she smiled, pushing on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to look at her and she leaned closer. "I can't act if I believe what I'm saying is true, ya know."

"Huh?"

She leaned closer to whisper. "Thy fair virtue's force doth move me to swear I love thee."

He stared at her, not sure whether she was serious or not, when she coughed and grinned, rolling away. "Out of this wood do not desire to go…"

Tabitha snarled through her teeth, thumped the ground with both fists and took off at a sprint toward the street.

##########====###########

Scott collapsed into his chair and sighed up at the ceiling. "Is it actually possible to know someone inside out and still have no idea about them?"

Kurt shrugged from his position on the bookcase. "I guess so."

"You guess so." Said Scott blankly. "You guess so."

"I guess so." He repeated. "Why?"

He shook his head. "S'nothing." He folded his arms over his stomach and watched the golden light stretching across the ceiling. "How'd Kitty's rehearsal go today?"

"Very, very, very slowly." He rolled off the book case, teleporting before he hit the floor to crouch on the lounge opposite Scott. "Need to ask you something."

"Uh huh?" prompted Scott lazily.

"Have you noticed something weird about Kitty lately?" he asked, leaning forward. "She's been… different."

"You mean how she's been bugging you for time instead of the other way around?"

"Yeah."

"No, I haven't noticed."

Kurt blinked. "Huh?"

"Jean told me to not notice. So I didn't notice." Scott smiled.

He stared, then laughed. "A joke! Sehr gut, Scott! Very impressive!"

"Not a very good one, though. Jean actually did tell me not to notice anything about you and Kitty lately."

"What? Why?"

"Something about screwing it up for you." He shrugged. "Oh, yeah… 'Those two have been leading up to this for months, don't you ruin it up by making Kurt nervous'."

"And you would make me nervous how?"

Scott shrugged again and smiled. "Probably by pointing out how obvious it is."

He grinned. "Oh, I already know that."

"That's what I thought."

"Anyway. In rehearsal today… Kitty… said something… and I'm not sure if she meant it or not…" he said slowly, thinking. "I mean, it was pretty much just a line from the play, but the way she was looking at me… I dunno, you know?"

Scott frowned. "What did she say?"

"Uhh… it's just a line. Basically Titania's saying she's forced to love this guy because of his virtue or something." He said. "I don't completely understand all the Shakespeare, but it was pretty clear the way Kitty said it."

"Which was what?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

He rubbed his temples. "I'm trying to remember, shut up a second."

##########====###########

"I love thee. I told Kurt 'I love thee'!" Kitty cringed and stared wildly at Rogue. "What I go and do that for?"

The older girl just kept reading her book, bored. "Kitty, _he's_ said that about sixty million times. It's no big deal."

"But what if he takes it seriously? What if he doesn't think it was just another line from the play?"

"Then he'll stress about it and not mention it until someone else brings it up." Said Rogue simply.

She pounced onto Rogue's bed and stared at her. "Rogue! I, Katherine Pryde, told Kurt Wagner, my fuzzy blue elf, that I loved him. I love Lance, not Kurt, but Kurt's liked me forever and I just know he's gonna take it like, seriously, and he'll think I like, wanna go out with him, and I don't think I'll be able to say like, no, and-"

She noticed Rogue glaring at her and stopped. Rogue smiled without any warmth. "Kitty. Honey. Sugar. You aren't thinking about Kurt, you're thinking about Lance. Kurt doesn't do that. And if you don't start putting spaces between the words I will magically forget my skin condition and-"

"Rogue, I'm serious here." She said. "What if he does think I meant it?"

"Did you?"

"What?"

"Did you mean it?" Rogue pushed herself up onto her elbows and watched her expression change. "Or were you just messing around?"

"I…" she looked down at her knees. "I'm not sure."

"Well then maybe you should stop worrying about Kurt's reaction and start thinking about yours." She said, swinging her legs off the bed. "Now, if y'don't mind, I'm supposed to be helping Ororo in the kitchen tonight."

"Rogue, wait." Kitty crawled off the bed. "One last question?"

"No." she said, holding up a finger. "One last answer. Kurt's one of my best friends and you know how he is about stuff like this. Don't jerk him around. If you aren't sure about this, don't say you are. Keep it as friends until you can decide what this is, okay?"

"Yeah…" She smiled. "Thanks."

"Yeah, well, you just remember this next time I want the same part in drama as you, alright?"

Kitty grinned as Rogue left the room, then picked up her stuffed dragon and hugged it to her chest. "I will."

##########====###########

Jess sighed and threw her bag at the couch. "There can not possibly be enough teachers in the world to apologise for all the problems I have with school."

"I dunno." Said Tabitha slowly. "If Kelly got on his knees and begged our forgiveness…"

"You sure about that?"

"…then stripped and did the polka with Todd, then maybe…"

Jess snickered. "You want a drink or something?"

"I'm okay."

She poked her head through the small window separating the kitchen from the family room. "Don't lie to-"

"-an Empath, it's really degrading." Finished Tabitha flatly. "I hate it when you do that."

"Well, when you're projecting to the entire world…" she said, disappearing again.

"I was talking about the drink, anyway. Hey, got some chips?"

"No, but I do have crackers…" she said slowly.

Tabitha shrugged. "They'll do."

Jess reappeared with a glass of orange juice and a box. She tossed Tabitha the food and collapsed beside her bag. "So. Why are you here, young Tabby?"

She shrugged. "Pietro's an irritating… and I don't want to see him if I don't have to."

"And so you're at my house, because…?"

"He's only ever at home straight after school, so I'm hiding out."

Jess shook her head. "Fine with me. You sure you don't want a drink?"

She gave her a look, then smiled. "Actually…"

"No alchy."

"Damn." She folded her arms and looked around. "Why not?"

"Parents are already drunk and they don't trust me, so." She shrugged. "So, Tabby, what's the deal? You've been moping around school for like a week. And don't you dare tell me you haven't."

She grinned. "Alright, you caught me. I have been moping."

"Thank you!" Jess smiled. "Now why?"

She rose onto her knees and leaned closer. "Because, Jess… I'm desperately in love with you, but I know our love can never be. Oh why, Jessica? Why, oh why?"

Jess glared at her. "Ha, ha and ha again."

"Well ask a stupid question!" she laughed. "I'm not moping."

She set down her glass and folded her arms behind her head, looking at her from the corner of her eye. "Changing topic… what d'you think of Kitty these days?"

"Huh?"

"Whaddaya mean, huh?" demanded Jess. "You mean you haven't noticed? The way she's looking down on everyone, all high and mighty, just because she's got a new boyfrie-"

"She what?"

Jess looked across at her again. Tabitha coughed and settled back into her bored position. "She and Kurt made it official then?"

"Well, no…" she smirked at the reaction. "But think about it… according to all reports, they spent the last two weekends all over each other, barely out of each other's company all last week… it's not hard to imagine exactly how far it's going."

Tabitha shook her head. "No way. Kurt wouldn't do that."

"Do what?" she closed her eyes, smiling slightly. "Of course he would. He's a sixteen-year old, warm-blooded human of the male species. Of course he has."

She looked at her. "Has?"

"Oops." Jess clapped a hand over her mouth. "I wasn't meant to tell you that!"

"Has?" she repeated.

"Forget I said anything."

"HAS?"

Jess moved her hand and grinned evilly. "Not that you care, of course."

"HAS?!"

She sighed. "Has not." She chuckled as Tabitha glared at her. "Oh come ON, Tabitha, you're SO moping about this. What's the deal? Last I heard, you WANTED this."

"Wanted what? I just didn't want him to be slobbering all over me. And I still don't." she snapped.

"Please. Don't be so pathetic."

"I am not-" she sighed audibly. "So what? I just don't think they'd be a good couple."

"You want Kurt back." She grinned. "You DO want a boyfriend, don't you?"

"No." she said truthfully. "I don't want the… ew… boyfriends are high maintenance. You have to feed them, walk them, make sure they aren't sniffing other owners… I don't want a BOYFRIEND."

"But you do want Kurt back."

"Not necessarily." She looked at her seriously. "You breathe a word of this conversation, Jessica…"

"Girl guides' promise I swear I won't!" she said.

She sighed, then looked up slowly. "I just don't want him to have a girlfriend…" she closed her eyes. "I know it's stupid, but… if I'm not in anything, I don't want anyone else to be, either, you know what I mean? It's just so… you get those couples hanging around that want everyone to know they're together, and I hate those kind of people-"

"Unless you are one of them?"

"Yeah!" she nodded. "You know what I mean, right?"

Jess nodded. "Same thing as Pietro." She said. "If he's not serious, no one else should be, either. It's kind of annoying."

Tabitha folded her legs under her and glared at the blank television. "Fucking… God, I hate Pietro sometimes. You know what? Screw it. I'm gonna go talk to Kurt tonight. We're gonna work everything out, it'll be fine. I'll have Chemistry again."

"That chemistry is so wrong on so many levels." Jess told her.

"Curl up and die, gothy girl." Said Tabitha, grinning.

She froze. "Oh god…"

"What? You don't like that? Cool, I'll have to remember that now."

"No. Tabs, I just realised something." She said. "If you're… if you want to get back with Kurt, there's gonna be a teensy, tiny, little problem."

"Yeah, Kitty, I know, but that was there before, it's no biggie."

"Oh crud… Tabitha, it is. But Kitty's not the problem."

She looked at her, smiling. "Then spill. I got things to do, y'know."

"Uhh… I kinda… well… oh man. Tabitha, I thought you didn't want Kurt to wanna be with you anymore, yeah? Do I kinda… took away… all his…" she trailed off, clenching her fists. "Dammit! I thought I was doing you a favour!"

Tabitha's eyes flew wide. "You're the reason he hasn't wanted to talk to me the last few weeks, aren't you?"

"Well, no." she threw up her hands. "I think the whole break up thing might have something to do with it… too."

Tabitha stood up. "I can fix that. Just hanging around him, he'll start to like me again. You said so. Everything you do can be fixed."

"Usually, yeah, but-"

"Everything you do with that stupid power of yours… can be fixed." She repeated, not looking at her. "And I am going to fix it."

Jess sat back, crossing her arms and legs defiantly. "Fine. Go make an idiot of yourself. See if I care."

"I will!" she snapped, then picked up her bag and the box of crackers and marched out.


	6. The Problem

DISCLAIMER: I feel loved. I do. No, seriously! I love the Internet. I love Aqua (all hail my dorkiness…) and my headphones. I love reviewers. I feel loved. I don't love Geocities at the moment, but I love everything else… And in case you're wondering… nah, I won't tell you what this is. That would take the fun out. How sad.

############===############

Scott and Jean exchanged bored glances and settled in to watch Kitty fall over again.

Kurt sighed and folded his arms. "I'm beginning to think she's actually trying to fall on her face."

"You never know, man. She might be." Said Evan.

He laughed. "That'd explain a few things, ja?"

"Yah." He agreed, nudging him. "We all know those four fingers of yours aren't folding onto her waist to keep her straight."

Kurt stared at him, and Evan knew that underneath the hologram he was turning an interesting purple colour. "Huh?"

"Ooooowww!" cried Kitty, and pushed her legs back by her sides. "This SUCKS!"

Kurt sighed. "How about we leave it there, then, Katze?"

"No!" she said defiantly. "I'm going to get this."

He moved forward and helped her up again. "You're just hurting yourself. No offence, Kitty, but you're actually getting worse."

"It's only because you've stopped helping me!" she accused.

He held up his hands. "Hey, calm down! Alright. Forwards or Backwards?"

"Forwards." She said.

He rolled his eyes at Evan, who grinned, and took her wrists. "Keep your arms bent and push off with them, ja?"

"Okay."

Scott turned to Jean. "You want a drink before you go out?"

"As long as it's not here." She smiled.

Evan followed them out, giving Kurt the thumbs up before disappearing out the door.

Kurt shook his head and turned back to Kitty. "Show me your flip again?"

############===############

Kurt closed his door and leant his forehead against it with his eyes closed. "Five hours…"

"What took five hours?"

He jumped and spun around, staring at his stereo. Tabitha was sitting beside it, his headphones around her neck and smiling at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Guten tag to you too." She said, raising an eyebrow. "What took five hours?"

"None of your business, now get out of my room." He snapped, pointing at the window.

She smiled and pulled the headphones from the stereo. "I was listening to your music. I can kinda see why you like the Beatles so much. Lots of fun."

He just crossed his arms and glared at her.

"And they always sing about the best stuff." She continued, not missing a beat. "Love, friendship, all these really random things that don't really exist anymore. I mean, people sing about them now, but they're usually so depressing. About how this person dumped that, or how you can never have the one you want. Very realistic."

"Love exists." He sighed, resigning himself to the conversation. "They all exist. It's just people like you that don't want to believe in this stuff that ruined it."

"People like me?" she asked, picking up a CD case to read it.

"Ja. People like you. That are so scared of having anything important in their lives that they walk away from anything that could hurt them." He said. "Even if it never would."

She shrugged. "Well, people like you make up for it, don't you? People who just keep going back to things that have hurt them, thinking things'll change, but knowing they never will."

"I am not a masochist."

"A what?"

He rolled his eyes and snatched the CD from her hand. "What do you want, Boom-Boom?"

"I just want to hang out. You never like to talk to me anymore."

"You only just figured that out?" he snapped. "I don't want to see you anymore. So why are you here?"

"Don't be so cruel, Kurt." She grinned. "It's not you that feels like that, you know." She waited, but he didn't say anything so she added: "You really want things to go back to the way they were."

He laughed. "Yeah, I do. So I can throw you out, too."

"It's Jessica!" she continued. "She felt sorry for you, y'know. So she got rid of all your positive feelings toward me. Really, you still want to be my friend."

He sighed loudly and walked closer. "Jess wouldn't do anything for me. And she knows better than to play in my head. Stop making excuses."

"Oh, sure she does!" grinned Tabitha. "You stop making excuses."

"Listen to me." He said, snapping off the end of every word. "Tabitha Smith. You are part of the Brotherhood. I am an X-man. We don't get on."

"You get on fine with the guys and you-"

"You dumped me because, and I quote, 'Blue was so last season'. I was once the way for you to get out of the mansion. Then I was your little game for free breaks. But you've had your fun; I'm not interested any more. I don't want to see you in my room. I do not want you to hang around me. I don't want to see you around school. Get out." He finished, then turned and stormed from the room.

Tabitha swallowed and blinked several times. "Okay, that didn't work." She managed, before her voice broke. She cleared her throat and looked at the floor, thumbs jammed into her pockets.

"That didn't work at all."

############===############

Kurt kicked open the kitchen door and slumped into the window seat, glaring out at the backyard.

Rogue smiled at the empty space in front of her. "Hi, Kurt, no, I'm not really in the mood to talk right now, sorry."

He jumped. "Rogue!"

She was standing, one foot holding the fridge open, a glass and the juice jug in her hands. "Hey."

"Sorry, I didn't see you there. Hi." He said, grinning. "I haven't seen you all afternoon."

"Yeah, I was avoiding the Kurt and Kitty variety hour." She said, closing the fridge with her foot. "Slightly sickening."

"Danke, mein Rogue." He sarcasmed.

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, it is."

He crossed to get his own drink as she sat in one of the kitchen chairs. "What's really sickening is Tabitha. She was in my room again tonight."

"What was she doing in there?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Asking me to let her hang around." He said, shrugging. "Weird, ja?"

"Very weird." She agreed. "So what did you say?"

"I told her to get out, what do you think I did?" he said, staring at her.

Rogue almost spit out her juice. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes, trying to swallow. After a few seconds, she managed to gasp, then stared up at him. "You did what?"

"What?" he asked, looking up again.

She leaned over and looked at him critically. "Are you feeling okay?"

He leaned away from her a little. "What?"

"That's really not like you, Kurt." She said, almost nervous. "You told Tabitha to get out?" she narrowed her eyes. "Mystique?"

He stared right back at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "Well, you're definitely not Mystique. Even she would've come up with a better excuse than that."

"Of course I'm not." He laughed, pouring himself another glass of milk. "Oh, I get it. Ja, I know. But she really annoys me lately. I'm noticing all these things about her that I just don't like."

"Classic bad break up victim." She diagnosed wisely, sitting back. "Never would have guessed you for the type, Kurti."

He laughed and shook his head. "Whatever you say."

############===############

Jess looked across the table at her mother. '_ It's not that hard. Come on. Don't kiss him this morning. Don't even notice he's there. _'

Her mother looked at her pen and frowned, it wasn't working very well. As Jess's father entered the room, he walked behind her. "Good morning, honey."

She looked up. "Oh. Morning."

Jess waited for the regular performance, but none came. Both she and her father stared. Her mother just continued glaring at her pen.

"It worked…" murmured Jess.

Her mother stood up and he grabbed her around the waist. "Where's my morning ravager?" he grinned, kissing her neck.

She rolled her eyes, amused, and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry this morning. Do we have any spare pens?"

Jess gaped as her mother worked free of his arms and began searching the bottom drawer for pens. She turned her head back to her father.

'_ React badly, come on. Cry. Get upset. Come on, Daddy, you can do it… _'

But he just blinked and turned toward the toaster. "Are we still on for dancing tomorrow night, honey?"

"Yes, of course." Her mother said, distracted. "Jess, after club today, would you go by the newsagent? We need some pens."

"Sure…" she sighed. So much for it working. What a monumental let down.

"I can do that, if you want, honey." Suggested her father.

"Oh no, you don't seem to buy the ones I like. These ones hurt my fingers." She said.

Jess raised her eyebrows thoughtfully.

############===############

"You know," she said. "in a few minutes, I'm going to have to get annoyed here."

Pietro snickered as Tabitha turned around. "What?"

Jess cocked her head. "You haven't spoken to me all day. I've had to put up with these guys for company."

Todd leaned over. "Aw, you know you want me."

She rolled her eyes. "Uh huh."

"What're y'lookin' at anyway, Tabs?" asked Pietro, craning his head slightly. He pulled a face. "The X-geeks? Again? Tabs, this's gettin' serious. You wanna go back or somethin'?"

"No." she snapped. "Unlike some people, I have standards."

"Ooh. Both low and untrue, that was bad."

"I'm not talking to you today, shut up." She snapped, then turned back to Jess. "Not that it's your business, but what we were talking about last night didn't work."

She blinked, trying to remember. "Ohhh! Well, I did tell you, didn't I?"

"No."

She smiled. "Look, Tabitha, the fact here is simple."

Tabitha shook her head. "And the fact is what?"

"The fact is…" said Jess, slowly, glancing at both Pietro and Todd instead of Tabitha. "the fact is you won't listen anyway, so I'm not going to tell you. See you two at drama. Bye now."

"Ooh. That's gotta hurt!" crowed Pietro. Todd laughed.

Tabitha growled as Jess stood up and walked away. She made a small bomb and flicked it at Jess's feet.

############===############

Kitty smiled up at Lance. "Thanks."

"For?" he asked, pulling at his costume's collar.

"Still doing the play. I mean, with us not going out, I thought you'd like, you know, quit or something." She said, smiling. "Thanks for not."

"Hey, this is my play." He grinned. "I'm not gonna just drop out because we have an argument or something."

She gazed up at him. "Yeah. I guess you wouldn't."

"Besides. In this part I get to order Pietro around. You think I'd give that up for anything?" he said.

She laughed. "And you even get to twist his ear around!"

"Yeah. Best scene of all!" he looked over her costume. "Not that our scenes don't come in a close second… You've got a button undone." He added, touching her arm gently.

She looked at it. "Oh, thanks."

"I really like this costume on you, by the way. Really makes your eyes stand out, y'know?"

"You think so?" she asked, unconsciously lacing her hands behind her back and raising her right foot onto her toes.

"Yeah. And it just really… yeah." He coughed. "Well, I'm gonna be on soon, I'll talk to you later."

She looked around, suddenly unsure of what to do. "Oh, well, yeah. Like, for sure. See you later."

"Yeah, um, bye."

"Bye…" she murmured.

In the shadows by the stage manager, Todd looked from the departing Lance to Kitty and back again. He groaned. "Oh, for the love of…"

He stood up, pulling his walkie-talkie from his belt. "Yo, Fuzzball. Meet me in the lighting box, would ya?"


	7. The Dress Rehearsal

****

DISCLAIMERS: Okay, I am really ticked off right now. You know how I said I've been having trouble with my hard drive and stuff? Well now I've either got a system problem or, even better as all Australians probably know, the Worm of the Microsoft Worm virus. I'm impressed.

##########===##########

"You know what, I'm thinking this whole production was doomed from the start. We should've done Macbeth. I knew it from the start, we should have done Macbeth."

Kurt nodded dumbly. Part of his job, as a stage manager/set designer was to listen to Gary stress over his more ridiculous problems. The fact that Rogue and Kerrie, playing Helena and Hermia respectively, didn't know their lines had sent him very close to the edge of a nervous breakdown.

"I shouldn't have cast them in leading roles. If they don't know their lines, then how will Chaz and Mark deliver theirs? This is terrible, terrible…" Gary clutched at his hair. "What am I gonna do?"

"You're a great director, Gary." Said Kurt slowly. "Sometimes you've just gotta give people some time."

"Time? Time? They've had two months!"

The radios attached to Kurt and Gary's pockets crackled into life. "Yo, Fuzzball. Meet me under the lighting box in ten."

Kurt picked it up and clicked a button on the side. "Bad time, oh Froggy one. I'm with Gary."

There was a small pause. "So? Tell him your Grandma died or somethin'. This is more important."

Gary and Kurt rolled their eyes at each other. "You do realise not only is he right beside me, but the entire production team can hear you right now."

Todd didn't answer. Kurt grinned. "See you IN the lighting box in twenty minutes. Not before, okay?"

"Gotchya." Was all he managed, before the connection light disappeared.

He sighed and reattached the radio to his pocket. "Anyway, what I meant, Gary, was that some people don't just be what you want because you want them to. And if you put heaps of pressure on them, it isn't going to help… at all."

##########===##########

Rogue glanced up as Jess entered the storeroom, then turned her eyes back to Lance. "And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye, Steal me awhile from mine own company."

He nodded. "Okay… and then it's just your two last… you're done."

She collapsed back against the wall. "Finally. I ran through them all and didn't forget one!"

"Hooray!" said Jess, crossing her legs to sit beside them. "Hooray for you."

Rogue just smiled.

"So what're you two doing all alone in here, huh?" she asked, grinning. "There a little affair I should know about?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "I hate you sometimes, Jess."

"Yes, well, sometimes it feels like everyone does, doesn't it?" she added cheerfully. "You two haven't seen Kitty around?"

"Uhh… I told her I have a scene right now, so I'm guessing she's probably backstage, where I left her." He said slowly, thinking.

The two girls looked at him. "Why did you tell her that?"

He shrugged. "What's it matter to you?"

"What about Toddy boy and Pietro?" asked Jess, not interested for once.

"No idea." Answered Rogue.

"Well you two are useless, aren't you?" she stood up again. "Fine then, I'm going to find someone worth talking-" her jacket suddenly buzzed. They all blinked as it started beeping. Jess grinned. "Somebody loves me! If you two don't mind…"

She fished a mobile phone from her pocket and pushed a button before raising it to her ear. "Aloha?"

Rogue and Lance exchanged bored glances and headed toward the door, but she ignored them, listening.

"Jess!"

"Tabitha!" cried Jess.

"Honey!"

"Sweetie!"

"Gorgeous!" they said together. Jess giggled. "What's up?"

"I need some help." Tabitha whispered conspiratorially. "You know that THING we were talking about the other day?"

She paused to think. "Uhh… Disney movies?"

"He's kinda short, kinda annoying, kinda cute if you think about it?"

Jess frowned, looking at a tin of paint beside her. "Considering we haven't talked about Brendan or Todd in a few weeks I'm going to say you need help with Kurt."

"Bingo!" cried Tabitha.

"Let me guess." Said Jess, seriously. "He brushes you off completely every time you talk to him?"

"You've seen?" she groaned.

"No, but I know why. I tried to tell you, y'know." She said. "He won't give you a chance, this way, you know that."

"Why not?" moaned Tabitha.

"Because he hates you with every fiber of his being." She said, grinning.

"He what?"

"Mmhm."

"Ah, hang on. You said you just got rid of his positive emotions." Said Tabitha, like she was talking to someone young or stupid. "Doesn't that just mean he shouldn't give a damn about me anymore?"

"Uhh… no. Not with Kurt. Not in this case. Sorry."

"Not with Kurt or not in this case?" she asked slowly.

"Both. Look, Tabs, it doesn't matter anyway, because we both know that at the moment Blue boy's only got eyes for Kitty the cat." She said, walking out of the storeroom toward the stage. "And anyway, all you could do is just make him hate you all the more, so you wouldn't really be helping anyone if you know what I mean… hello? Hello? Tabitha?" She stared at the mobile. "Huh. Musta cut out. Oh well." She clicked a button and shoved it into her jacket.

##########===##########

Kurt crouched beside the lighting console and looked at Todd expectantly. When he didn't say anything, Kurt frowned. "And the point to this particular waste of time is…?"

Todd laughed harshly. "You do know you're being pathetic, yo?"

The two boys stared at each other. After a moment, Kurt raised one hand. "Wiedersehen." He said, standing up.

"You are. You go from one girl to another. As soon as one starts paying a little bit of attention to you, you jump at it. Admit it." Said Todd. "Are you that desperate? Come on, at least I got some dignity."

He turned, ready to start one of their daily arguments.

"Yo, so maybe I ain't all cute and cuddly like your fine freaky self, but if I was a human pillow, at least I'd know when to draw the line. This thing with Kitty, it's just low."

"You would know. And you can't talk about drawing any lines. We both remember your experience with Kitty." He snapped back.

Todd's eyes narrowed dangerously. That was a very sore topic. "I wasn't drooling all over her for the past six months."

"No, just every other female in existence." Kurt closed his eyes and held up his hands. "Sorry. I didn't… what do you want, Toad?"

He shook his head. "Hey, if you don't wanna hear what I got to say…"

"Would you just say what you came here for?" cried Kurt.

"Like I said, you're being a moron, yo." He snapped. "Kitty dumps Lance so she comes looking for a friend, and who does she find but you. Imagine that. You LET her think she's mad for fur when we both know she's only interested in your garden variety NORMAL LOOKING guy."

Kurt looked away, annoyed.

"You completely screw Tabitha over, ignoring her, treating her like dirt, acting all high and mighty to me, ever since this thing with Tabitha, you're being a real jerk, X-geek." He finished.

He scoffed. "I'm not acting all high and mighty…"

"Yeah you are."

"Well maybe I'm-" Kurt stopped himself, his jaw working as he tried to calm down. "Okay. So maybe I'm making the best of a situation with Kitty. But maybe I'm actually getting something I've been waiting for for almost a year. As for Tabitha, I'm finally realising some stuff with her, and you know what? I'm much better without all this. And as for you, Toad? Well, you're just pissing me off lately. I'm taking off early."

He crouched down, but Todd had fought him long enough to know when he was about to teleport. He grabbed his upper arm. "Don't you freaking dare."

"What!"

"We ain't finished here!"

He wrenched his hand away and glared at him. "Trust me, we are!"

BAMF

Todd stared at the clearing smoke. "Damn, I hate you, you fuzzy blue freak." He muttered, then jumped as Kurt's radio hit the floor. "One day I'm gonna RIP YOUR FREAKING HEAD OFF!!!"

##########===##########

Rogue glanced up at the sound of Todd yelling. She looked across at Jeremy and Mark, then back at Kerrie. "What was that?"

"Hello?" demanded Gary. "Are you on stage or what?"

The others glared at him, but started the scene again.

In the audience, Jess and Pietro looked around at each other. "Sounds happy, don't he?" she asked, hiking her thumb up at the lighting box.

Pietro shrugged. "Sounds like a regular day, t'me."

"This whole friendship thing is disturbing, you know that, right?" she asked blandly.

"Nah. It doesn't reach that far, y'know." He sat back in his chair and put up his feet. "We hang out, sure, but we wouldn't risk our necks or anything."

"Huh?" she turned around to look back at him. "I didn't understand any of that."

He smirked lazily. If it weren't for the fact he was currently dressed in green and brown rags, he would have looked nonchalant. "Yeah, we talk to each other here, follow? But if we can make life harder for 'em… we won't exactly hold back, y'know?"

She settled her head on her forearms and smiled at him. "Really."

"Yes, really."

"If that makes you feel better, Pie-pie." She grinned.

His eyes narrowed automatically. "What's that meant t'mean?" he demanded.

"Nothing, nothing." She held up her hands placatingly. "Hey, I gotta go. See you later, dude."

He stood up and grabbed her shoulder before she could move. He leaned down with his elbow resting beside hers. "What's going on here?"

"You tell me, I'll tell you." She sang.

"Tell you what?" he sat back, watching her carefully.

"Okay, so I got Tabitha to tell me what is going on with Lance, Kitty and Kurt, yeah? But no one is entirely sure why you are doing this." She said slowly, knowing it was agony for him to try to understand. "I have my theory, but… I am… not sure."

He blinked at her. "And? So your theory's what?"

"You're a pathetic person, Pie-pie." She clapped a hand over his mouth to keep him from retaliating. "If you're feeling depressed, you think everyone else should be, too. This all leads back to last month, doesn't it? Rogue?"

He pulled away. "What?! That was all you! Why should I care?"

She cocked her head, smiling. "Not that you cared or anything, you did kinda like the feeling."

"Feeling? FEELING? What feeling?"

"Of being with someone. Even if it was just hanging out, you liked it." She grinned, then continued on over his speed-complaints. "SO, when you saw Tabitha and Lance come home from spending time with their significant whatevers, it got to you. It annoyed you. Made you jealous!" she sang the last few words, grinning all the wider for his wince.

"That was not the point." He snapped, jerking his face away from her.

"Uh huh." She said. "But you didn't mind Kitty being in love, so you pushed her at Kurt. Come on, this has nothing to do with X-men, Brotherhood. This is all about you." She laughed and shook her head, standing up. "See you later, Pietro."

He didn't stop her. He just kept glaring at the seat beside him. "So not the point."

##########===##########

An hour later, Kitty stepped off the last step from the drama room, staring at her feet. Kurt had disappeared early on, so she walked to Scott's car alone.

"Hey, Kit." Smiled Jean, sitting on the hood. "How's it going?"

"Not so great." She sighed. "Seen Kurt this afternoon?"

Scott shook his head. "Not since lunch. Why?"

"I dunno…" she looked around the dark car park. "He wasn't around for most of rehearsal."

"Where's Rogue?" asked Jean. "Maybe she knows."

"Uhh…" Kitty looked over her shoulder. The people that did drama didn't much like to talk about their 'inside' friendships. "Just, um, getting changed, I think."

Jean shrugged. "I'm sure he's fine. He probably had a lot of back stage work to do."

"Yeah." She smiled and climbed into the back of the car.

"You okay, Kit?"

Scott turned around to look at her. "You've been quiet all day."

"Just thinking, I guess." She smiled. "Relationships and other stuff you wouldn't know about."

"Hey!" he laughed, taking a mock-swipe at her head. "I know plenty."

"Sure you do, Scott." Laughed Jean. "Heaps."

##########===##########

Rogue leaned against the door with Lance, watching Kitty talking to the others. "Not that I think you should or anything, but isn't this usually the part where you get annoyed and demand she go out with you again?"

He shrugged, looking at his shoes. "Nuh. It's her problem. If she likes fuzzy freaks better than me, she deserves it." He growled half-heartedly, and pushed past her. "Learn your lines."

Rogue watched him from the corner of her eye, then smiled as Todd passed her. "See you later."

"You too. Hey, slap the fuzzball for me, yo?"

She smiled, walking down the steps. "He needs it."

"Later."

Jess followed them out, looking from one car to the other, and bit her lip. "Oh, frick." She sighed, hiking her backpack. "I think you screwed up, Simmins."

##########===####################===####################===##########

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Felt the need to talk back. Besides, I kinda miss it…

Thanks for all the reviews, BoomBaby101! As you can see, Todd didn't do much. I just thought he needed a scene, poor little frog.

Hey Scott! I'm afraid that Tabby can't do that, for reasons that will be explained next chapter. Promise!

Kiki"5", I'm sorry, but I just love the five. Just adds that touch of tacky class. Hee hee. Sorry. You love Tabby because she is a very cool character. It's very sad that she often gets a bad rap. Not that I don't like stories where she does, but y'know.

Yma, it wasn't possible for me to get upset about that review. I completely understand and agree. It's just, well, I always get the feeling that I sound like I'm just rambling when I describe stuff, so yeah. But I'm trying! Please pull me up on stuff like that, I really appreciate constructive criticism, honest. And if you didn't like what happened with Kurt and Todd, I'm not sure I did, but it will be explained. Next chapter.

MaMa Moosh. I love that name. It has both the word Moosh in it, and for some reason reminds me of cows. I like cows. I just thought you should know that…

Chaotic Boredom- hey, you're still here! Yay! Those parodies would be cool to read. Heh heh… The walkie-talkie thing is something from my school. In my drama production (finally over, hooray! I never have to wear a grey wig again! YAAAAAY! Sorry…) the backstage crew all had to carry radios around so they could communicate when something went wrong. In this, Todd's the props master and Kurt's second stage manager, so they got them. Meh. Either way, see you next time, hopefully!

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Thanks to everyone for reading and love to all who reviewed before! See you later!


	8. The Argument

****

DISCLAIMER: One day when I was out walking, though you'll find it hard to believe, a little blue man came out of the crowd and timidly tugged at my sleeve. "I love you, I love you," said the little blue man, "I love you, I love you to bits! I love you," he loves me, said the little blue man, and scared me right out of my wits.

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Isn't that the cutest song? Okay, that's a no, but I still like it.

##########===##########

Kurt sat down heavily on the end of the slide and looked around. He'd been walking around for almost an hour, ending up in a park a few blocks from the institute. He couldn't be bothered teleporting back yet.

"What is going on with me?" he sighed, holding his head in his hands. "Ach…"

Much as he hated to admit it, the little green annoyance had been right. He was being a jerk to him. It was just that all those little things that had first been the main reason they hated each other had suddenly reappeared. He was noticing all the problems and faults, and none of the arguments they'd once passed the time with seemed funny anymore.

The insults were just that.

He rubbed his temples, glaring at the holographic image of his brown shoes. Things seemed to be getting to him a lot easier. Little comments from Scott and Evan that normally he would have shot back…

He leaned back against the slide, moving his tail slightly out of the way, and stared up at the darkening sky. Maybe he was just in a lousy mood lately. Couldn't think why. Meh. Rogue was probably right. He was probably going through emotional withdrawal or something.

He chuckled to himself and closed his eyes. Emotional withdrawal. Now there was a good one.

Still…

He jumped as Jean's telepathic voice filled his mind. '_ Kurt, you with us? _'

'_ Whatever it is, I promise I didn't do it. _'

He could feel her rolling her eyes. '_ You okay? Kitty said you weren't at rehearsal. We were wondering if we should've waited for you. _'

He frowned. '_ You didn't? _'

'_ We thought you'd gone home! _' She cried, defensive.

'_ Whatever. Nah, I'm okay. _' He opened his eyes, smiling gently at the moon. '_ I'll be home soon. _'

'_ You sure you're okay? _'

'_ Bye, Jean. _' He put up his mental blocks and chuckled. It was nice to be worried about sometimes.

He sighed and jumped back to his feet. "Better get back sooner or later." He muttered, and started out.

##########===##########

Kurt waved at Scott from the doorway. "I'm home."

"About time." He said, glaring over the back of the couch.

"Hey, Kurt." Called Jean, offhand, not even looking away from the television. "Come on, Deaken… Wake up…"

Kurt blinked. "Do I want to know?"

Scott shook his head. "Deak's got a tumor."

"And what is a deak, exactly?"

"A cross between Neanderthal man, a brain surgeon, Orlando Bloom-" they exchanged disgusted looks. "-and Fabio. Don't understand it myself, but he'd dying, so it can't be that bad."

Kurt laughed. "And you're watching it because…?"

"I am." Replied Jean, fingers laced and eyeing the screen carefully.

He nodded at Scott's blush. "Right. Ja, well, I'm going to investigate the kitchen."

"Watch out for flying Evans." Warned Scott.

Kurt chose to ignore that one and continued on. The kitchen, of course, was full of both people and delicious smells. He stopped in the doorway to sniff. "Ahh… spaghetti…"

Evan raised his glass of milk. "Guten morgen, Kurt my friend."

"Abend." He corrected absently, waving at Rogue. She raised her own glass, apparently exhausted. Kurt stopped beside Ororo and looked into the saucepan. "Ahh… spaghetti." He repeated.

She smiled. "Good evening. You're home late."

He made a non-committal noise and looked around for a piece of bread.

"Where were you, K-man?" asked Evan, bending his head backward to look at him.

"Around." He said, scooping out a helping of sauce. Ororo slapped at his hand, but he just grinned and bit into his bread. "Why do you two look so out of it?"

"She threw me across the entrance hall." Said Evan, matter of factly.

Rogue glared at him. "Only because you rammed into me on that damn board of yours."

"You shouldn't have been in the way!"

"I was coming through the front door!"

Kurt looked at Ororo, who looked thoroughly bored with the argument. She glanced at him and smiled. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour, so no snacks."

"You're killing me, Frau Munroe!" he groaned, walking past the still bickering Evan and Rogue. "I'll die of starvation."

"As much as I would highly enjoy seeing tonight's performance of _Oliver_, Kurt, my ability to be entertained has been worn out by Jerry and Dean here, so if you don't mind?" she said, smiling.

He dropped his shoulders and put his hand on the doorframe. "Alright, but if I'm not at dinner, assume I collapsed and come running with foodstuffs and guilt."

"I'll do that." She assured him as he slipped out the door.

##########===##########

Tabitha looked up as Pietro closed the door behind him. "Well, well, well. The cookie has evidently crumbled."

"What?" he asked blandly. He didn't wait for an answer before continuing through to the kitchen.

She hauled herself away from the couch and followed him through. "I was talking to Lance."

"Good for you." He said, opening the fridge. "We have no food."

"No, but Jess's coming tonight." She said, offhand. "I was talking to Lance this afternoon. You know what he told me?"

"That you're an airhead?"

"That he doesn't care about what Kitty does anymore." She continued. "That he's not going to get all jealous and everything."

"Bully for him. Don't we even have a can of soda or something in here?"

"No, but again, Jess tonight. So… that means your plan isn't working." She finished, watching him for a reaction.

He just slammed the fridge shut and began searching the cupboards. "What plan? The whole X-geek thing? Nah, I'm over it. I don't care. God dammit, what happened to the stuff I bought last week?"

"You're over it?" she repeated, staring at the space he'd just been. "Just like that?"

"Hey," he straightened, turning to her lazily. "That decision took an entire ten minutes for me to make. Leave it alone."

"Bastard." She whispered, turning her head toward him. "You utter bastard."

He stared at her. "What?"

She shook her head, walking closer, slowly, dangerously. "You realise… do you realise, Pietro, that you made me fuck up the best thing I had going for me… and… and just like that, within ten minutes, you decide… it wasn't worth it?"

"What thing?" he asked, leaning back. "Blue boy? Nah, Tabs, you can just work that again! You know that."

"No, no. No, you don't understand, Pietro. I can't. It is not possible." She forced a grin on her face. "I don't know why, but it is not freaking possible. And now… now, all because of you, he is looking only at a stupid, ditzy, valley… air head, who doesn't… who can't…"

"Who likes Lance?" he supplied.

"Yes!" she managed, grinning. "Who likes Lance. Who really, really likes Lance. Who will not, ever, in the next million years, ever, like him like she likes Lance."

Pietro laughed nervously, backing up again.

"Do you realise, Pietro, what it is like to watch the biggest mistake of your life repeat itself over… and over…" she was towering over him again. "and over again?"

"Uhh… no?"

"No!" she yelled. "You don't! You can not possibly understand! And you just go and… grah!" she threw up her hands and stormed away.

He blinked and picked himself up, recovering as only he could. "Of course, Tabitha, you could always help yourself, couldn't you."

"What?" she demanded, spinning around.

"You made him not like you, right?" he brushed himself off haughtily. "Why don't you just make sure he won't like her, if it's so painful for you?"

She blinked. "Because."

"Because?"

"Because he thinks she's perfect."

He snorted, walking out of the kitchen. "No woman can ever be perfect to a guy with ears. They whine, they complain, they blame you for things you had nothing to do with…"

##########===##########

"Hello, Xavier Institute, Evan speaking, how can I help you?" he glared at Rogue. "I can so answer a phone."

"You forgot the gifted part." Tabitha and Rogue said together.

He snarled. "I hate females. What d'you want?" he asked.

"You have a terrible phone manner. Kurt there?"

He laughed. "Exactly how big are you planning to dig this hole of yours, Tabitha?"

"Is he there, or not?" she asked, lazily.

"No, seriously, I want to know." He grinned. "See, we've got this bet going that he's going to hit you soon. But the thing is we can't decide on what with. I think it's going to be opening night for their play, with one of the stage lights, but Scott's got this good idea that it's going to be a desk tomorrow. What do you think?"

She paused. "Honestly, I'd say a chair on Monday, but before then, can I talk to him?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not. Hey, K-man! Phone!" he yelled at the ceiling.

Upstairs, Kurt and Kitty stopped their conversation and looked at the floor. "I think that was for you." She said.

"You sure?" he wondered, staring.

"Pretty sure it was." She said slowly.

He shrugged and teleported down the hall to the phone. He sank down beside it and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Blue!"

He sighed and glared at the wall. "I'm hanging up."

"No, listen, wait, wanna talk to you."

"I got that part." He said blankly.

"I think this is really important and that you should know." She paused for effect, then smiled into the phone piece. "All guys should be gay."

He blinked. He was sure that would have been funny a week ago. "Really."

"Yeah! Think about it. Women suck. And not in the good way. Well, I don't count, but yeah. Have you ever thought about how annoying we are?"

"I've thought about how annoying you are an awful lot lately." He replied, bored.

"No kidding. But like, even Kitty. We're just irritating. We whine a lot, we talk in ridiculous languages, about guys that don't really look that great, care more about brawn than anything else, blame you for everything…"

He looked down the hall to where Kitty had been, half-listening.

"And, to top it all off, we use men like you would not believe. We use not only sex and appeal, but sugar coated promises and confidence boosters. It's disgusting. We're so manipulative." She finished, gasped a breath, and continued. "We do anything to get what we want. And when we don't have something, or there's the CHANCE we might have to share with someone what we do have, we go and get something else to assure ourselves of how great we are."

He waited, knowing more had to come after that.

"And do you realise how much exaggerating we do? A little bit of pain once a month and we make it into the frikking voodoo game. Think about it!" she cried. "You just know it's all a scheme to get more ice cream and chocolate out of the guys. And we can get away with it because you guys don't know what it feels like."

He made a noise in his throat.

"That is why I feel sorry for guys and it is also why I think you should give up on women. Are you with me, Blue? Come around and we'll go man-hunting together."

Kurt waited, but she seemed finished. "I'm hanging up now."

He put the receiver back on the cradle and checked his watch. Dinner should be ready. He disappeared in a blast of light and smoke.

##########===##########

She smiled at Jess as she hung up the telephone. "Hey. What took you guys so long?"

She triumphantly held up several bags of shopping. "I stole my mother's credit card! Rejoice, for you have food!"

"This food you speak of," said Todd, following her through the door. "Can you eat it?"

"Yes, my son, you can." She grinned. "Especially when you give it to a being known as Fred. For he can put it in fire, and make it more than food."

Tabitha laughed. "Cool. But I haven't seen Freddy all day."

Jess frowned. "Weird. I missed my Freddy all week. I've barely seen him."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon." She said, peering into a bag Lance was holding.

"Pietro can cook. Tell him we've got food but no chef but Todd." Said Lance.

Jess handed Tabitha her bags. "I can do that."

"He's in his room." She said, following Todd into the kitchen. "Hey, Lance, what's up?"

"No'much." He replied, pushing his bags onto the table. "You?"

She waited until Todd had left the kitchen for the rest of the bags. "Reckon you can cover for me tonight? I have something to do."

"What's up?" he asked.

"I don't want Jessica to know. That's all. Think you can make up an excuse for me?"

He narrowed his eyes, looking at her suspiciously. "What're you planning?"

"Nothing." She snapped back. "Nothing that concerns you." Directly, she added silently. "I just need to go out."

He sighed, shrugging. "Whatever."

Tabitha grinned.

##########===####################===####################===##########

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Hmph. Didn't get to my point yet. Buggeration. Oh well. I'll start the next chapter tonight and maybe I'll have it up soon. I had a couple of notes. One was, of course, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. I was watching Remember the Titans yesterday, and that scene just popped into my head. The other was Tabitha's rant, which actually belongs to Dyonne, a friend who has decided to take over my house tonight and steal all the Doritos in the house. She wrote an entire typed page that was basically the basis of Tabitha's argument. Hm. Oh, and the tumor. If you've read my old replies, you know who that's for. Deaken was a character in a play I just finished. Apparently we got his name from Passions, or Bold and the Beautiful or something…

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REPLIES because I love you.

Chaotic Boredom: Nah. This fic should go on for at least another two chapters. The whole Jess thing did actually come from me sitting through my Lit class, trying to analyse Macbeth, because at the time I was writing an insane Kurt who sounded an awful lot like Lady Macbeth… yeah…

Thanks BoomBaby101, I like being complimented… Hee hee.

MaMa Moosh- glad I'm not the only one…

Hey Yma- Did you get your own computer, or are you just getting onto the computer more lately? Or am I just not updating as much? Hm. I dunno why Todd'd point it out, really… but he's not afraid to tell Kurt that he's being stupid, and he's friends with Lance first and foremost, so I guess it's like… I dunno. He just did. What was No good deed about? Argh. I hate being behind on this show. And Cartoon Network's still only showing season two. Matter of fact, it's currently only up to season one, and on at seven in the frikking morning… on weekends… Hey, did you do the Freddy chapter for Shattered yet? I can't get onto your story anymore. It's really annoying.

Kiki "5" (sorry, can't help it. Dyonne thinks it's an outrage that you had to get a number, by the way), whoa. Review. Heh heh. I think Kurt and Tabby should elope too. That might be a side story in the next Jess fic. I can see the scene now… oh well. Get this done… then you have to email me with all those ideas you said you could give me, kay? Is it just me or are the little side things I put in, not thinking they'd be funny or anything, the most successful? First Meatless Monday. Then Ventile, now these… pattern. You like replies? I like replies. When I'm doing Jetty and a side story, I am so going to start doing these again. That was a problem with Jetty though, when it's not on here, you don't get many answers to your fics. Kinda makes you wonder if anyone's reading, y'know? Anyway. TABBY STORY!!! You have to tell me when that's done. I will love you forever. And insight? Always good.

Arach, my darling fiancée. Or is it fiancé? Meh, I dunno. How could I forget I'mnotDavidBowie? I think the random cockroaches remember I'mnotDavidBowie. I think you were defending me from someone who was telling me I can't speak German. She was right, but I appreciate it all the same. I missed your long, long, LONG reviews though. Still lifes do suck. Dyonne would like to tell you you're still insane, even more so for doing art at college. Mind you, she's doing year twelve Physics and calculus, so she's not exactly one to talk. I am too subtle. I keep TRYING but I never FIX it. Argh. One day I shall recover from said disease. You did Fame at high school? I hate you so much. Hey! This story has an OC, what are you talking about? And I put in a tumor just for you. Okay, so it's not Scott or Jean, but it was a tumor. And the IAD universe will return… one day. When this is done. I'm tossing up between Rahne's story, which refuses to come out my fingers, and a one shot where Kurt meets up with Remy and Stjohn again. Course, with Rahne, we'll eventually see Ged again, but…

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I have got to go now. Goodbye to all and to all goodbye!


	9. The Facts

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DISCLAIMER: And I wish I wish I knew the right words, to make you feel better, walk outta this place. And defeat them in your secret battle, to show them you can be your own man again. Show them you can be your own man again!

This was getting really annoying.

Bobby nudged Ray and nodded at Kurt, who was glaring out the window beside Scott. His tail kept whipping out of the hologram and lashing dangerously close to other people's legs.

"If someone doesn't go outside and kill her, I'm going to have to cause an international incident." Said Kurt in a strangely calm voice.

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Logan would still blame me for the mess."

"How'd she even get in, anyway?" asked Kitty, cocking her head to the side. "What happened to all our security?"

"We never changed it after she left." Said Scott. "Something about welcoming back those who stray from home."

"Sounds like the professor." Agreed Evan.

Tabitha was walking lazily up the driveway; eyes set intently on the left wing of the mansion.

Kurt sighed. "Do you think I could manage to get away with an international incident if it was in my room?"

"Probably not." Said Kitty, looking past Rogue to smile at him.

"And it's not exactly like you being German is going to stop them from blaming mutant kind, so you might be in a bit of trouble with Logan and Storm, too." Added Rogue.

"I hate it when you're right." He muttered. "Well, I'll go out and 'escort her off the premises' or whatever it is they say."

"Good luck." said Kitty.

"Keep it G-rated." Grinned Evan.

Kurt gave him a sickly smile and disappeared in a flash of light.

Scott coughed and waved the smoke away. "Can you still see them?"

"No…"

"Just."

"Kinda."

"Perfectly." Said Jean, from her position on the couch with Amara.

Rogue and Evan grinned at each other. "Does this mean you're going to let us see, too?"

"No." she said, looking at the book in her lap.

"Bitch." Muttered Rogue.

#########===#########

"Waah!" Tabitha fell backwards, staring as the smoke dissipated. "Hey, Blue!"

"Two words. Go away." He snapped.

"That's not very nice." She smiled, crossing her arms. "Why are you so mean to me, Kurtty-boy? All I'm asking is a little bit of your time."

He stared at her. "Tabitha. You do realise that in the last two weeks you've taken up more of my time than when I could stand you?"

"Now that's just mean!" she walked forward and leaned close. "And don't exaggerate, it's not attractive."

"Funny. You always seemed to think so." He said, his voice hard. "What are you doing here? There is nothing else for me to even say to you. You've tried everything, Tabitha. I'm not going to like anymore than I would any other way."

She frowned and stepped back to glare. "Fine. If you can tell me exactly why you don't like me, calmly without yelling, because you did say once that yelling makes you lie, I will stop trying to get you to want me again."

He looked at her for several moments. "That's it? I just have to tell you what I don't like about you?"

"Yeah. And it can't be just one thing, because that's no reason to hate me. It has to be more than two."

He smirked and cleared his throat. "Okay. Why I don't like Tabitha Smith. She smokes. Smoking is bad for you, disgusting, smells terrible, hangs in my fur, makes you look like a drug-crazed loser and you only do it to annoy me."

She nodded. "Okay. That's one. One that I can fix, too, you know."

"She drinks for fun. Constantly. Throws herself out of control for the fun of it."

"Yet another thing I can fix."

"Whatever. She steals. Not only from shops and random people, but the people she calls friends, as well. She doesn't only steal for food or money, but for, and I quote, the kicks. She thinks it's funny to hang around afterward and watch the poor victim try and find whatever she just stole."

Tabitha looked him up and down. "These are all material things, that I could stop doing. I need some actual reasons, here."

"Fine then." He said slowly. "I hate Tabitha Smith. You know why?"

She made a small noise. Actually hearing it from his mouth was a lot worse than she'd expected.

"Because she uses people. She doesn't care about anyone, not even herself." He said, watching her, his expression harsh. "She doesn't want to take care of herself. She lies, cheats, takes what she needs to get what she wants. She talks other people down so she can feel big. She talks herself into believing the world is against her so she's got something to blame. She makes things she walks away from into something terrible."

He looked over her shoulder as he continued, quietly. "She pretends she's insane so no one will ever hurt her. She swears she won't let anything happen, but some days, she makes sure so much that nothing ever happens, while others she forgets her promise and everything happens. She just forgets the past and prays it won't happen again, when we all know it will." His eyes slowly returned to hers, both pairs shaking slightly, shining. "She laughs at the world while deep down inside, she's just crying and wanting someone to hold her so tight it hurts."

Kurt's head snapped around and his hand rose to his cheek, confused. She'd slapped him, hard.

She shook her head, her breathing ragged and tears threatening to slide down her cheeks. "That is not me. That is not what I'm like. I am not hurting, I am not afraid of anything and nothing _will _or _has_ ever happened to me." She walked backwards, staring at him. "I hate you, Kurt Wagner. Don't you ever forget it."

"I'm glad." He breathed.

She turned and ran at the gate. Kurt watched her stoically, then started walking back to the institute.

#########===#########

"Hey, Kurt, what happened, did you get rid of her?" smiled Evan, looking up. "Or are you two back on cloud sixty-nine?"

"Du fich." He snapped, storming straight through the room toward the kitchen.

Kitty stared and looked around at Jean. "What happened?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." She said lightly, turning her page. "Darcy just proposed to Elizabeth and she turned him down, too."

They all stared at her. Rogue eventually turned to the others. "Should I go and talk to him?"

"Nah." Scott looked after his friend. "I think this is a uh, solo flight."

Kitty shook her head. "Must have been bad."

"Real scorcher." Agreed Evan.

"Or affirmation." Added Jean quietly.

Scott looked at her silently.

#########===#########

Fred picked up the phone before Todd could snap it up. "Hello?"

"Freddy?" asked Tabitha, her tone slightly off. "Hi. You're home."

"Yeah… where are you?"

"I'm… I'm about… is Jess there?" she asked, her voice squeaking suddenly.

Fred frowned. "No… she went home after dinner, or that's what Todd said. Tabby, where are you?"

"She's with her parents?"

"Y- yeah, Tabby, tell me where you are, I'll get Lance to pick you up."

"No!"

Fred's eyes narrowed in concern.

"No, I mean, no, that's okay. I'll be home late."

She hung up the phone and Fred listened to the beep for a few moments before hanging up and turning back to the television. She'd come home when she was ready.

#########===#########

"Dammit!"

Jess looked over at her mother in question.

"Sorry, Jess. It's just that these accounts are working properly. How's your homework?" she asked carefully.

"Finished." She said, putting down her pen.

"Wonderful. Can you go tell your father to dish out some ice cream? I don't have time."

She blinked. "Don't you want to tell him?"

"No, I'm a little busy, you see." She smiled, waving at her files.

Jess nodded slowly, then turned at the doorbell. She frowned at her mother. "You expecting someone?"

"No." she looked along the hall nervously. "Make sure you check who it is first."

"Yeah." She said, moving toward the front door. She looked through the peek-hole and made a small noise. "Tabitha?"

She pulled open the door and stared at her. "What are you doing here? It's almost nine."

She grinned, despite the fact her make up was smudged and running down her face. "Hey, Jess. How you doing?"

"I'm fine… what are you…?"

"I, I went to go see Kurt tonight." She said, laughing slightly. "He um… I made a deal that if he could tell me why exactly he didn't like me… I'd… I'd leave him alone."

Jess's shoulders lowered and she gazed sadly at her. "Oh, Tabitha…"

She laughed and sniffed slightly, looking up at the corner of the doorframe. "And… after… after hearing all that… I'd hate me too." She managed, before breaking off into a sob.

Jess reached out and pulled her inside, hugging her as she shut the door. "I'm sorry, Tabs…" she whispered. "I'm really sorry."

#########===#########

Half an hour later, Tabitha and Jess were curled up in her bed with a four-litre tub of ice cream and a video playing on mute.

Tabitha shoved two spoonfuls in at once, glaring as a lanky man sprinted up a set of stairs. "I don't get it."

Jess sighed. She knew she wasn't talking about the movie. "It's my fault."

"I know." She snapped.

"No, you don't." she sighed again. "It's not completely my fault. It's Kurt's, and yours and Todd's and Lance's and Scott's… it's everyone's."

"What?"

"I didn't think about it at the time, because I didn't understand why you and Kurt were friends in the first place. Not properly, anyway."

Tabitha looked at her, confused. "What do you mean? We're friends because we're friends. Or we were."

"Yeah… sorta. I don't understand you, Tabs. I don't know what happened to you before I met you." She said slowly. "But I can guess that it wasn't great. And we both can guess that life wasn't brilliant for Kurt either."

"Mm."

"But unlike everyone else, you and Kurt look away from your problems and just pretend everything's okay when it isn't. You both hate yourselves somehow but you deny to the point that people think you've got an ego the size of Mount Rushmore." Both girls chuckled, then Jess continued. "You recognised that in each other, connected. Wanted to help each other, even though you would never get around to it."

Tabitha nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"Todd's got it too… all the Brood do. Not quite to the same extent, but…" she sighed. "When I got rid of Kurt's feelings for you, I got rid of the connection. I'm not sure how, but I did. He doesn't see the hope for a person that can feel like that anymore. All he sees is something he hates about himself in someone else. He resents it. He resent you."

Tabitha shoveled in more ice cream and rubbed her face. "I hate these sort of help you help me talks."

Jess laughed. "Yeah."

"So why didn't that just disappear the more I talked to him?"

"Ughff. Complication." Said Jess. "Same deal. Hate me, hate you situation. The more he's confronted with what he doesn't like about himself, the more he resents it."

Tabitha managed something between a groan, a sob and a laugh. "I'm screwed!"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Can I cry now?"

"My soaked shirt can testify that you already did."

"So how do you fix this?" demanded Tabitha, poking her. "Can't you just put in some artificial love or some crap?"

She rolled her eyes. "Have you seen Duncan lately?"

"Oh yeah…"

"Look, Tabitha, the only way we could possibly fix this is to set him up with his true love or whatever." Said Jess, gesturing with her spoon. "And since the closest thing we've got is you, Kitty, and that weird chick who slobbers all over him in his math class-"

"Or the random groupies that pretend they don't like that weirdo institute foreigner." Added Tabitha.

"Mm. We don't know for sure who his true love or whatever really is. This whole Kitty thing is even too weird for me. I don't wanna try that. And we know what happens when you're too close, the chick in his math class scares me…"

"What else have you got?" she asked.

"Well…" she looked at her wall, through which she could almost see her mother working. "If I could put the emotion back…"

"You can't do that, remember, you told me?"

She smiled crookedly. "It's worth a shot. Unless you want to sit around and wait for him to meet the love of his life."

"You suck." Snapped Tabitha. "Fine. Whatever. But either way, if you don't bring food in exchange for sleeping over tomorrow night, I will tell Pietro you used to want to go out with him."

"Bitch."

"Yep."

#########===#########

Kurt closed his locker slowly. He looked at it for a few moments, then re-opened it. "I have English next. Not Biology."

"Wow, you know what, Kurt? If you state anything more obvious, I may have to laugh." Said Kitty, appearing beside him.

He smiled. "I try and forget the lessons I have with you." He grinned, waving his book at her.

"Jerk." She hit his arm, looking at the boy across the way, wrestling with his locker. "I have to say, though, I don't like this holo you've got today. Always creeps me out the way your fingers move."

He raised his hand to look at it. "What are you talking about? No Vulcan salute."

"Yeah, but the thing is, I know how your hands are. Seeing them move like that… yeer, y'know?" she shuddered and started toward their classroom.

"I like it." He said. "This watch breaks a lot, but I don't have to wrap up my tail, or concentrate on how I'm walking…" he shrugged. "It's comfortable."

"I guess… You should stick with what's comfortable…" she said slowly.

He tried to look at her, but it was hard when he was supposed to be watching to make sure he didn't touch anyone. "That's not always true, Katzchen."

"Huh?"

"Think about it." He dodged a group of girls running past. "What's comfortable can get pretty boring, too."

"I don't… what?" she stared at him.

He shook his head. "I'll tell you in class."

Kitty frowned, but shrugged and continued pushing through the crowd.

#########===##################===##################===#########

One to go. I'm pretty sure it's one to go…

****

REVIEWS!!!

Akaluk- dude, hi! Would you believe that it was your ohsosubtle review that got me going again? Go ahead and use Ventile. I am flattered beyond reason of a doubt, promise. I have no idea when Nutter's site's gonna be back up, but I hope it comes back soon. I do so miss it.

MaMa Moosh, if I told you that, you'd know the ending, wouldn't you? Thanks about Jess. I'm slowly starting to like her, but it'll take a while before I admit it.

Sorry, Chaotic Boredom, but I'm pretty sure you have to be Kurt, it has to be dinner time and generally you have to be a fictional character for the Ororo treatment. Yeah, it's sorta an Evan Rogue thing, but no, it's not going anywhere. I'm trying to be nice to Evan lately. Giving him a friend is the best I can manage. The series is just there when I feel like doing something un-angsty. So don't worry, it will turn up again. Besides, I have to fulfill Kiki's idea that I've fallen in love with. I should probably think about doing the three essays I have due too…

Arach, or I'mnotDavidBowie! Meeheehee! I thought you'd like Deak. Deak may or may not return, because I've decided Jean should be obsessed with that show from now on. Chapter is a good word to beat to death. I hope you like this chapter as much, but I don't know… I just wanted to do that thing with Kurt and Tabitha, but it didn't come out so great. Anyway… So I wrote a subtly good OC? I'm confused… I want Kurt to get lucky, I do, but… not right now. Maybe next chapter. At the end. Maybe. I heard about Arnold. That's weird. I'm sorry, but that is just beyond the realm of odd. I can't believe you're painting chairs in your not-so-spare time. Dyonne wishes to tell you exactly why you're an idiot, by the way:

__

You idiot. No, seriously. Art college? I do high school art. I spend ten hours a week on homework from art. I have to research dead guys in the hope that they will teach me something from their amazing art works. I have to analyse the way they held their brush. WHY in the deepest depths of the ninth layer of hell would you KEEP doing art?

I think she's done. Moving on…

Hey Yma! Hee hee. I'm really glad you liked the rant. She is a little desperate, isn't she? The original idea for this story was to have Tabitha trying to convince Kurt that Kitty wasn't worth his time, but it got lost somewhere… I know I'm confusing sometimes, I often have to go back and double check what I've written. Speaking of writing… I loved the new story. I love Pyro. I think he is the be all and end all. And I did get to Freddy's chapter, but I can't frikking review. So I'll just tell you here that it was amazing and you should be incredibly proud and praised beyond all imagination. I liked Lance and Wanda best, but the others were still wowing. You even managed to make Dyonne like you. Which is both shocking and saddening for you. Round of applause, guys! Oh yeah, I remember reading about No good Deed. Jetty will have to continue soon… when I get around to it. Do you think I should post it on here? I've decided it's barely R-rated, so I might as well have it where I can get life sustaining reviews, right? I dunno… I'm not talking to Geocities either at the moment, so…

****

I have to go guys. I mean, look how long those replied are. Sheesh. See ya!


	10. The finale

DISCLAIMER: Finding Nemo. Now tell me honestly, who does not love Nigel? And the crab. The crab's voice was Rove! As in, from Rove Live! Now if you arne't Australian, you won't know who the hell I'm talking about, but, but… CRAB! And Nigel! And how cool was Ellen Degeneris or however that's spelt! What was I going to do here? Oh yeah…

"I don't get it." Said Evan.

Kurt sighed and pointed with his pencil. "Look, it's simple. If something is moving at a certain speed, it can't just stop, can it?"

"Yes." He replied easily. "Like in a car crash. The car goes flying into a wall and stops."

He shook his head, annoyed. "Yeah, but the car gets smashed up in the process. That's because the car's energy got transferred into the wall and bounced back out, you understand?"

They stared at each other for a few moments. "No."

"I give up." Said Kurt, tossing his pencil at Evan's chest. "It's a lost cause."

"I could've told you that." Said Scott, sitting down beside him.

Kurt grinned. "Ooh… food…"

Scott pulled his tray away defensively. "Not this time, buddy. You buy your own!"

"But I'm starving!" cried Kurt. "And I've already had lunch!"

Scott smiled around a chip. "Then you should've bought more."

"I ran out of money! Now I'm broke. I hate money." he sat back, giving Scott his best puppy-dog eyes.

"That isn't going to work, cause I'm not going to look." Said Scott, picking up another chip.

"I can easily reme-" began Kurt, but suddenly Kitty was sitting opposite and talking.

"So there we were, in the middle of a very nice conversation, when Kurt like, cuts me off, saying we'll talk in class." Said Kitty, opening her lunch bag violently. "And, through our entire English class, he sits there, totally ignoring me. Now, I ask you, how is that finishing our talk?"

Scott shrugged. "Meh. He's being annoying. You take what small mercies you can get."

"I am not being annoying." Objected Kurt. "I can be much, much, MUCH more annoying."

She glared at him. "So what were you talking about?"

"What was I talking about?" he asked, blinking.

"Yes. What were you talking about?"

"I have no idea." He answered. "Can't remember."

She glared at him. "You're going out of your way to be like, totally irritating today, aren't you?"

"Probably." Said Evan, poking his textbook.

"How can what's comfortable be bad for you?" she demanded.

Kurt smiled. "Oh, is that what this is?"

"Yes!"

"Well, think about it. It's like… friends and girlfriends." He said, suddenly grinning. "A friend is someone you can be comfortable with. Not care how something looks or sounds, because if they're a good friend they'll stick around anyway, ja?"

"Yeah…"

"But you don't feel the same about friends that you do with a girlfriend…" he said slowly, looking at Scott for help. He looked just as confused as Kurt did. "Because you want to impress them… and they make you feel good… because you can…impress them?"

Evan snickered. "Wow. That was an inspired and well-planned speech!"

"You do better." He snapped. "You know what I'm talking about!"

He grinned. "That I do. Okay, K-girl, think about it like this. Comfortable is cool sometimes, but eventually it feels old, used, you know what I'm saying? What's uncomfortable makes you feel new, sparkly and Valley girl, even if it does feel weird to start with."

Kurt and Scott stared at him. "How did you get that out of what he said?" asked Scott, pointing at Kurt incredulously.

Kitty glanced at Kurt before turning back to Evan. "So what he was trying to say was a friend is great and all that, but a crush can be exciting and make you feel great if you know someone else has like, a crush on you!"

"Yup." Said Evan, reaching over for Scott's milk.

Kurt stared. "How did you get that out of what I said?"

"Some people are just that good." He said, blowing invisible dust from his fingernails.

"Or you could just be spending way too much time with him." Reasoned Scott.

Kitty sighed and speared a tomato on her fork, gazing silently at Kurt. What's comfortable isn't always that great, huh?

############====###########

Jess waved goodbye to Rogue and slammed her locker shut. She liked talking to Rogue sometimes.

Dracula was good book to talk to Rogue about.

She was SO getting an A this term.

She caught sight of Kurt weaving through the crowd and stood up determinedly. "Hey! Kurt!" he didn't hear her. She scowled and pushed into the crowd after him. "Kurt! Hey, Wagner! Kurt!"

He was very good at being deaf, it seemed.

"OI! FUZZBALL!" she shouted.

He turned finally, but so did most of the rest of the corridor. She blushed and grinned nervously. "Heh heh… saw a rat?"

When nobody laughed or reacted, she scowled and pushed forward to a holographically beat-red Kurt.

He glared at her. "Are you nuts?!" he whispered harshly. "Don't call me that!"

"Well it got your attention, didn't it?" she snapped back, just as quietly. "Where are you going?"

"The drama block. Gary's having another nervous breakdown." He said, shrugging.

"I need to talk to you." She said as they started walking forward again. "For like… ten minutes. Tops."

He sighed. "I don't really have time, here, Jess. Unless you can get Gary to not call off the show in the next half hour…"

"It won't take long, I just want to see if I can do something." She said.

He narrowed his eyes, glancing at her. "You are not touching my mind."

She snapped on a grin. "Would I do that?"

"Yes."

"Well, not today." She managed, still grinning. "I want to see if I can… see through your holo!"

"What?"

Jess grinned. "I want to see through your holo."

He sighed and leaned against the nearest locker. "Jess… What's going on?"

She leaned forward silently, closed her eyes and frowned. Kurt just stared at her as nothing happened. "What are you doing?"

She opened one eye. "Well? Feel any different?"

He shook his head silently, staring.

"Bloody HELL!" she yelled. "This is so frikking unFAIR!"

"Whoa, Jess! Jess, calm down!" he cried, holding out his hands.

"NO!" she shouted. "No, you don't get it! After all this! After an entire YEAR! I am still a useless loser!" she glared at him. "If you had just taken my advice, everything would be perfectly normal and nothing would be wrong and I'd be happy, but…"

Kurt stared, open mouthed, as she continued to rant. He blinked hard, trying to listen, figure out what she was going on about. But for some reason nothing seemed to be getting through… He shook his head, dimly aware that people were surrounding them, staring. He had the weirdest feeling of déjà vu. He blinked again, trying to concentrate.

"And no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I can't get anything to go right. And I MIGHT have done it, but no…" she glanced at him and inwardly grinned at the lost expression on his face. "I can't tell, can I? You know, if you just agreed to let me practice a little more, I'd be fine, but no, you have to be a good boy and follow the rules! So I have to follow the rules too! Do you know how annoying that is?"

Kurt finally snapped back to attention. "What?" he asked, looking around. "Um, yes? I uh, I'm sorry? Are… Jess, are you…?"

She nodded. "Kurt. Smile."

He stared for a moment, then managed a smile, confused.

"You know what, Blueberry? You just made my day." She finished, grinning. She finally seemed to notice the people around them. "Oh. Um… I could have timed this better." She muttered.

Kurt nodded dumbly, silent for once. She laughed nervously, walking backwards. Then, suddenly, she turned and sprinted.

He stared at the path she'd forced through the freshmen, all looking as confused as him. He blinked and looked around. In the crowd, someone started laughing. Slowly, it began to separate.

Kurt smiled, then chuckled. "Interesting experience." He said quietly. "Disturbing, but interesting…" He turned and started walking towards the drama room.

############====###########

"Lance?"

He looked up, scowling as he saw Kitty.

She put her books down beside the gas taps. "This seat taken?"

He shook his head. "Knock yourself out."

"Thanks." She sat down and started sorting everything out. Then she looked up at the blackboard silently, waiting. Lance cleared his throat and focussed on his gloves. If she wanted to play this game all lesson, then so could he.

It wasn't until the lesson was winding down that either of them even acknowledged the other. Lance started slightly as a small piece of paper hit his knuckles. He unfolded it, glancing over at Kitty, focussed on the board.

_Hey_.

He chuckled and picked up his pen.

_Hey yourself_.

He tossed it back across the table and started copying down a list of equipment. The paper landed in the front of him again.

_Have you got the time?_

_2.35_.

_Will you have it tomorrow at the mall at ten?_

He stared at her. She smiled hopefully and raised her eyebrows. He shook his head and picked up his pen again. _Well, you know I'm pretty busy looking down the cheerleader's tops, so I don't think so_.

_I guess I deserve that_.

He sighed, scowling to himself. _Don't you have someone of your own?_

She rolled her shoulders, glancing at the teacher before looking back down at her notes. _I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know. No._ She drew an unhappy face and tossed it to him.

_That isn't good enough, Pretty Kitty_.

_What do you from me? I'm sorry!_

_I know that_.

_So what do you want??!!_

_I don't know._

Kitty looked at the paper, then met his eyes slowly. She bit her lip and looked away as the bell rang.

Lance stayed in his seat, watching her as the other students rushed from the room.

Kitty sighed and started to pack her things away. "I was wrong."

"Yeah." He snapped. "You were."

"I've been wrong before, you know."

He nodded and picked up his textbook, pushing it beneath his notebook. "Yeah. You have. More than I count."

She looked at him carefully, pulling the books against her. "Okay then." She nodded and left the classroom.

Lance sighed and sank into his chair again. "Okay then."

############====###########

"Two words." Said Tabitha, pushing open her cupboard doors. "No… way."

Jess rolled her eyes, flopping back on the bed. "But he's back to normal."

"Says you." She shot back, flinging an old dress of Mystique's at her. "For all I know, he's just as much a jerk as last night. Or he'll be even worse!"

"I don't think so…" she said slowly. "I'm pretty sure."

Tabitha turned to eye her warily. "Since when can you fix anything?"

"Iunno. I just did."

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, right. So your parents are back to normal?"

Jess shut her mouth with an audible click.

"I'm not going."

"Oh, come ON, Tabs." Jess pushed herself off the bed and leaned on the dresser lazily. "Worst that can happen is he'll humiliate and crush your spirit into dust."

"Wow, now that sound reassuring." Said Tabitha dryly. She pulled out a low cut, stretchy top, eyeing it critically. "I'm not going."

Jess let out her breath in a loud huff. "Fine. Live the rest of your teenage life like this. Don't take chances. Live slowly. What do I care?"

Tabitha didn't look at her, pulling another shirt from the cupboard.

"I'm going to get some food for dinner, but I just hope you realise one thing, Tabitha Smith." Said Jess, turning back dramatically. "Everything you've said and heard over the last two weeks has been true. Every last thing. If you can't deal with that, well that's your problem, but none of it's going to go away. I would at least want someone there to deal along with me."

Tabitha's search slowly came to a halt.

"But hey, that's just my opinion. What would I know about people's feelings, right?" she added, her smile twisted, before she left the room.

Tabitha shoved her clothes back into her cupboard and turned away with a growl.

############====###########

Kurt frowned at the TV guide in his lap. "I can't believe this. Over a hundred channels and nothing on."

Scott frowned. "There has to be something on. It's Friday night."

"Yeah, and most people are out having fun." Observed Evan.

Rogue looked away from her book long enough to smirk at him. "It's your own fault you've got no friends."

He glared at her and slowly started to rise. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "So says little miss popularity."

Jean and Kitty exchanged glances as Rogue reacted, tackling Evan around the middle, over Jamie's head. Kitty took the program from Kurt and flicked to the movie channels. "What are you talking about, Kurt? What about _Object of my Affection_?"

Scott and Kurt grimaced. "No thanks."

"What's so bad about it? It's sweet!"

"Exactly." Said Scott.

"What's wrong with it?" she demanded, stepping back to let Rogue hop past her, dodging spykes. "It's so sad and perfect and everything! They love each other, but there's just one little thing missing! It's amazing!"

Kurt and Scott looked at each other again. "You want to tell her, or will I?" asked Kurt.

"Kitty, it isn't humanly possible for two people to be that close and not end up together," Said Scott. "They go through all that and still end up best friends."

"Oh, it so is." She grinned. "I mean… look at you and Jean!"

Kurt coughed. "Yah huh."

Jean smiled. "Or look at you and Kurt." She reasoned. "If you were honest, anyway."

Kurt and Kitty stared at her silently. Kitty licked her lips. "Yeah, actually, I guess so."

Kurt's eyes slowly slid around to her. "Huh?"

"It is… practically… the same… If you think about it." She looked at him quickly before looking back at the program. "It's just that comfortable. Like you said."

His mouth shut and he smiled gently, looking down at his feet. "Ja… Comfortable." He looked up, smiling.

Scott suddenly grinned. "Hey, um, since there's nothing to watch… I could do a game of Ping-Pong. Kurt?"

He nodded. "Sure, sounds great! Prepare to lose spectacularly!" he grinned.

Kitty looked at Jean as the boys left. "Thanks." She snapped.

"Don't get snippy at me, Kitty." She snapped back. "You tried, and it didn't work. These things happen, and you have to resolve them and move on!"

Kitty looked away, annoyed, only to bowled over as Evan ran into her.

Rogue stood above them, glaring. "What did you call me, Spykeless?"

############====###########

Scott stopped outside Kurt's room and kicked the side table absently. "Hey, I'm sorry, man."

"Huh?" he grinned. "Oh, no, I'm fine. It's no biggie, just another day in the life that is, right?"

Scott sighed. "Yeah. Sure, Kurt."

"What, you don't believe me?" he opened his door. "I'm hurt, Scott! No one trust me anymore."

"That happens." Said Scott. "Well, I should get some homework done. Later."

"Later." Kurt waved, smiling. Scott was almost to the next hall when he called. "Hey, Scott!"

He turned, looking over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the help, ja?"

"Anytime, Elf." He smiled. "It's what I'm here for."

Kurt smiled and went into his room. He shut the door, leaning back against it with a sigh and closed his eyes.

He pushed off and picked up his bag on his way to his desk.

############====###########

The drama club were all sitting around the stage, talking after a very long after school rehearsal. Kitty was eyeing Lance. "You weren't there on Saturday."

"I never said I would be." He said, then looked at her. "Did you wait long?"

"Actually…" she smiled. "I wasn't there either. I assumed." She grinned at his laugh, then bit her lip. "Sorry."

He looked at her seriously, then looked over at Pietro. The shorter boy rolled his eyes and winced at the pain from his new, shiny black eye. Lance leaned back. "You seen the new slasher film?"

"No, you?" she asked.

"Nah. You free on Friday?"

She shook her head. "Friday night we're performing."

"Oh yeah." He grinned. "Well, got a date for the cast party yet?"

Kurt looked away as Kitty smiled and shook her head. He looked back at Jess. "There we go again." He sighed.

"Yup." She shrugged. "You okay?"

"Ja… yeah, I'm fine." He looked at her.

She grinned. "You know what I want to say to that."

"And you know I'm going to ignore you now."

She smiled, glancing at Pietro. "Lance found out that Pietro and Tabby were the reason Kitty broke up with him."

"Ah. Which explains the black eye." He looked over his shoulder at Lance. "And why he's suddenly done such a one eighty with Kitty."

"Yeah. Last week he 'didn't care what she did'. Now look at 'em." She said. "Disgusting."

"Ja…" he agreed. "He didn't get Tabby too?"

"Nah. Apparently Tabby was the one that swung the punch." She grinned.

Kurt laughed. "That girl will do anything to get out of trouble."

Jess smiled, watching him. "Meh. Kinda. So… you talking to her yet?"

He stared at her. "I haven't seen her since Thursday."

"Really?" she asked. "Still avoiding her?"

"Nope. Just haven't seen her." He said. "Not that I blame her. I kinda said some things I shouldn't have, on Thursday."

She shrugged and pulled out her mobile. "Whatever you say. I have to call someone, sorry."

He shrugged as she stood up, already dialing.

Jess walked away from the group and waited until the other line picked up. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered, angrily.

############====###########

Kurt half closed his door and collapsed onto his bed. "Mmph."

Tink.

He looked up. Something had hit his window.

Tink.

He frowned and pushed off the bed. He walked to the window and opened the doors.

They were little rocks. Pebbles, like from the driveway. He picked one up and stepped out to the railing. He looked down and raised his eyebrows.

Tabitha looked straight back up at him, defiant. "You're going to sit there, and you're going to listen to me, and there will be no speaking until I say so. Okay?"

Kurt frowned, but stayed silent.

"Now, I tried absolutely everything to get you to talk to me this past two weeks. I have joked, insulted, played games, been clingy, hell, I've even tried to tell you you're gay. And at the end of it all, all I got out of it, was a lecture on what a terrible person I am. Do you know how that feels?" she growled. "And for some reason, at the end of it all, I still want to be your friend. I still want you to come up to me and tell me I shouldn't wear make up that makes me look like a whore."

Kurt smiled gently, waiting.

"Now, since you institute guys are such wonderful, well adjusted people, I would like you to explain that to me. I would like you to analyse my every thought and movement, and give me a reason. Any reason. At all." She shook her head and sighed. "Now. Please take that machine gun out from behind your back and shoot me, because if anyone finds out I did this, I will die of shame, so if you don't mind, I'd like to not prolong the experience."

Kurt smirked. "Can I talk yet?"

"If you say 'hasta la vista' I will laugh so hard." She said.

"I don't use guns. Can't get my fingers to work them." He said, leaning down on the railing. "And I ran out of grenades just this morning."

She looked up at him, her eyebrow raised.

"And I hate getting my hands dirty… so I guess I can't kill you tonight." He said, matter of factly.

"Damn." She waved and turned away. "Oh well. G'night, then."

Kurt smiled after her. "See you tomorrow."

Tabitha laughed, holding her arm up in farewell.

Kurt grinned and turned back to his room. "I AM pathetic." He murmured, closing the doors behind him.

############====###########

Pietro, decked out in brown rags with green highlights, holding a flower and looking oddly attractive, watched as Lance kissed Kitty deeply before leaving the stage. He smiled at the audience. "If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended."

In the front row, Tabitha smiled and looked beside her, to where Kurt was listening, clipboard in hand. She reached over and took his pen. He glanced at her, then smiled.

"…And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream, gentles, do not reprehend, if you pardon, we will mend."

"I'm glad." Whispered Tabitha.

Kurt lowered his eyelids and smirked at her. "He didn't 'mend' anything."

"Says you." She grinned.

Pietro smiled. "So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends:-"

Kurt took Tabitha's hand in his. "And slowly we'll restore amends." He whispered.

She smiled. "Slowly?" she asked, as the curtain fell.

"Hey, I'm on the rebound." He grinned. "I don't want you taking advantage of me, now, do I?"

"How slow is slowly?"

He shrugged and began to applaud along with the audience. "Ohhh, until Kitty and Lance's next break up, at least."

She grinned. "So I'm sleeping at the institute tonight?"

"Hah. You wish."

############====#######################====###########

__

Done! Over! Never to be resurrected until I get around to writing another one. I've been reading Yu-gi-oh fanfiction the last few days. The series sucks, but the characters are cool, so I really like the fanfiction…

Moving on.

****

REPLIES!

MaMa Moosh- Thanks! I didn't do so great this chapter, but hey.

Kiki5- it took me three tries to get that five right. Very sad. Anyway. WHOA! And entire CENT?! Wow, I want your bank interest! That reminds me, I should go to the bank. My theory on my skill with Tabitha comes down to one thing. I'm the only one that I know of (not that that means a whole heap) that writes her without her being a complete and slut-ful bitch. Hm. Anyway. Yes, I love her and Kurbitha very much.

Heya Yma! You still happy? Happy, happy, joy, joy… Ugh. Now I want to write YOUR version of this chapter. But that would require this being much longer and much more angsty and we all know I'd love to write it, but that would take effort and I really should get back to my other stuff, huh? Mm… I dunno. I'm sure the sequel to Forgiven would be great to read, but I thought it was fine the way it was. Maybe it's just that I've never had a heap of luck with one shots turned into chaptered stories… Either way, I can't wait for your next one. And you can tell me whether I should put the continued Jetty on here or not. That'd be cool…

Hey Daisuke… your name sounds really familiar… anyway. Now it's a Lancitty and Kurbitha and poor Pietro got left on his own. I feel guilty now. This story just doesn't feel finished to me, y'know? Grr.

Kitty Pryde2- hey, yeah, I know, I'm usually a Kurtty shipper, but this series has been like that ever since I started…

Chaotic Boredom- Du fich, I'm pretty sure, won't come up on freetranslation. And I'm not entirely sure if it's right. Who knows/cares? Pink is the bane of your existence? Hm. Purple was mine for a few years a while back. Then I discovered modern Eeyore. Hence the purple jumper I'm wearing right now…

Hey Arach. You scared Dyonne to silence. I'm so proud! = wipes away tear = She went back to the hostel a couple of nights ago, but she wanted me to tell you "well bugger you then". Make that of what you will. The goose, in fact all of Charlotte's Web, should go find a nice cliff. Terrific is a bad word, isn't it? Mind you, I don't think anyone uses it anymore. It sounds so… Pride and Prejudice. "It was such terrific fun!" ergh… And when you become famous, I shall demand you find me a book publisher and support me until I can sell a book. That should make up for the dancing in front of Dy. I suppose I won't make you pay… but only because you're nice. Boo ya to you too. Now I shall move on.

BoomBaby101- your wish was my command. Sorry about the crappiness..

__

Now, unless you demand a SCW, I am not to see another Jess fic for many a month. Later, dudes.


	11. The uh second try

__

Heh heh… I kinda lied. At the time I thought I was telling the truth, but I wasn't. Namely because for the first time since IAD14, a review kept eating at me. One single line is just… THERE. And it keeps coming back. So. Since Jetty isn't talking to me on my computer at the moment and I've given up on one of my ideas, we're seeing a new, and hopefully improved, version of that chapter. Yech.

****

DISCLAIMER: I went to the show yesterday. I'm very, very burnt today.

"I don't get it." Said Evan.

Kurt sighed and pointed with his pencil. "Look, it's simple. If something is moving at a certain speed, it can't just stop, can it?"

"Yes." He replied easily. "Like in a car crash. The car goes flying into a wall and stops."

He shook his head, annoyed. "Yeah, but the car gets smashed up in the process. That's because the car's energy got transferred into the wall and bounced back out, you understand?"

They stared at each other for a few moments. "No."

"I give up." Said Kurt, tossing his pencil at Evan's chest. "It's a lost cause."

"I could've told you that." Said Scott, sitting down beside him.

Kurt grinned. "Ooh… food…"

Scott pulled his tray away defensively. "Not this time, buddy. You buy your own!"

"But I'm starving!" cried Kurt. "And I've already had lunch!"

Scott smiled around a chip. "Then you should've bought more."

"I ran out of money! Now I'm broke. I hate money." he sat back, giving Scott his best puppy-dog eyes.

"That isn't going to work, cause I'm not going to look." Said Scott, picking up another chip.

"I can easily reme-" began Kurt, but suddenly Kitty was sitting opposite and talking.

"So there we were, in the middle of a very nice conversation, when Kurt like, cuts me off, saying we'll talk in class." Said Kitty, opening her lunch bag violently. "And, through our entire English class, he sits there, totally ignoring me. Now, I ask you, how is that finishing our talk?"

Scott shrugged. "Meh. He's being annoying. You take what small mercies you can get."

"I am not being annoying." Objected Kurt. "I can be much, much, MUCH more annoying."

She glared at him. "So what were you talking about?"

"What was I talking about?" he asked, blinking.

"Yes. What were you talking about?"

"I have no idea." He answered. "Can't remember."

She glared at him. "You're going out of your way to be like, totally irritating today, aren't you?"

"Probably." Said Evan, poking his textbook.

"How can what's comfortable be bad for you?" she demanded.

Kurt smiled. "Oh, is that what this is?"

"Yes!"

"Well, think about it. It's like… friends and girlfriends." He said, suddenly grinning. "A friend is someone you can be comfortable with. Not care how something looks or sounds, because if they're a good friend they'll stick around anyway, ja?"

"Yeah…"

"But you don't feel the same about friends that you do with a girlfriend…" he said slowly, looking at Scott for help. He looked just as confused as Kurt did. "Because you want to impress them… and they make you feel good… because you can…impress them?"

Evan snickered. "Wow. That was an inspired and well-planned speech!"

"You do better." He snapped. "You know what I'm talking about!"

He grinned. "That I do. Okay, K-girl, think about it like this. Comfortable is cool sometimes, but eventually it feels old, used, you know what I'm saying? What's uncomfortable makes you feel new, sparkly and Valley girl, even if it does feel weird to start with."

Kurt and Scott stared at him. "How did you get that out of what he said?" asked Scott, pointing at Kurt incredulously.

Kitty glanced at Kurt before turning back to Evan. "So what he was trying to say was a friend is great and all that, but a crush can be exciting and make you feel great if you know someone else has like, a crush on you!"

"Yup." Said Evan, reaching over for Scott's milk.

Kurt stared. "How did you get that out of what I said?"

"Some people are just that good." He said, blowing invisible dust from his fingernails.

"Or you could just be spending way too much time with him." Reasoned Scott.

Kitty sighed and speared a tomato on her fork, gazing silently at Kurt. So what had he been trying to get at?

############====###########

Jess grinned at Tabitha as she processed the idea, one hand still in her locker.

"No." said Tabitha. "No, no, and no again."

"You never know, Tabs, it could work!"

"Uh, uh!" snapped Tabitha. "I don't care what you say. We weren't in love."

"You so were." Grinned Jess, as Tabitha slammed her locker shut. "You were always three seconds away from mauling each other."

"We weren't in love." She repeated, beginning to storm down the corridor. "We were in like, at best. So you trying to inject him with love is going to do nothing but make it WORSE!"

"You know, you aren't very nice sometimes." Observed Jess, following her. "I'm not saying I'm going to put love in, anyway."

"So what were you saying?" she demanded, glancing over her shoulder.

"I'll just put it back! I'm sure I can do it! I think I'm doing it to my mother, I can do it to Kurt!" she grinned.

Tabitha just gave her a bored look. "Uh huh. Look, honey, I thank you. From the bottom of my heart and all that. But the fact is, I don't give a damn. I'm over it now. I don't want you to help. I'm just going to go, collect my dues, and move on." She glanced sideways, stopping outside her classroom. "And so can he."

Jess looked at her for a few moments. "You know you don't really want that."

"You know, in between all the bullshit and hate, whatever," smiled Tabitha, sadly. "He did have a good point. And in some ways… I think hanging around him only made me worse. So maybe what I need," she began, brightening. "Is time away from him. You know, get my head together. Figure out what I want."

Jess didn't answer, frowning at her.

"So yeah. Thanks for everything, Jess, but I think I'll be alright for a while now." She grinned, hitting her fist against Jess's shoulder lightly, before turning and walking into her class.

Jess continued to gaze at the door for almost a minute, before turning back into the crowd of students.

############====###########

The next day found the entire drama club wrestling with costumes that were far too tight for common decency.

Kurt slapped his palm to his head. "I'm missing a counseling session for this?"

Rogue laughed while still trying to hold the front of her dress up. "No, you're missing European History. You never go to those sessions."

"But I could, couldn't I?" he smiled, then rolled his eyes. "Here, let me."

"Kurt, no!" she cried, leaning away from him. "There are two very good reasons for you not to do that!"

"I'm wearing gloves under here, y'know." He said, raising his hands. "And anyway, no offence Rogue, but although you are an incredible looking female specimen, you're like an annoying big sister." He grinned.

She scowled. "That's my line."

"I don't care, now let me help." He said, pulling her hands away. He adjusted several straps and zipped up a hidden section. Suddenly the costume fit, if it was a little low around the neckline. "I was at a few costume meetings." He explained.

She looked down, then crossed her arms, irritated. "I'm going to kill whoever designed these."

He shrugged and went back to watching Lance talking to Jess.

"Why did we get new ones, anyway?" asked Rogue, tilting her head slightly.

He shrugged again. "Something about them all going missing last week."

"Why do I suddenly want to throttle the fastest person in this room?" she asked dryly.

Kurt smiled. "I don't think anyone would stand in your way."

############====###########

"I'm going to kill the bastard." Said Lance, calmly.

She cringed. "No, that's not what you should be concentrating on. You should be concentrating on the fact that if this hadn't happened, you and Kitty would still be together!" Jess glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "You see my point?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." he shook his head. "You're trying to tell me that just because of a stupid letter, Kitty fell out of mad in love and when I go ask her out again she'll fall back."

Jess looked to the side, thinking. "Yes…"

"And you know what? I don't doubt it either."

She grinned. "So you'll do it?"

"No." he nodded to her and turned away.

Jess glared at his retreating back for a few moments, then ran after him. "Why the hell not?"

"You don't get it, do you?" he cried, turning on her suddenly. "You don't understand! It's not about her not going out with me! It's about her believing the letter in the first place! It's about Nightcrawler. It's about the fact that she can't decide! Do you understand THAT?"

Jess frowned. "I understand that fine. But-"

"Jess, get the picture. I don't give a flying fuck. Okay? Just leave me alone." he snapped, then marched away.

She stared at him, her mouth hanging open, but let him walk away. After a few moments, Kitty walked up beside her, fiddling with her dress. "What was that about?"

She sighed and looked at the brunette for several moments. "Guys suck."

"Uhh…" Kitty stared at her. "Okay…"

"You think you have them and this whole romance thing all figured out. And then you realise… you don't know jack." She sighed loudly and straightened. "And you can't do anything because they aren't interested."

"You want to go out with Lance?" said Kitty, suddenly defensive.

"No… But I want him to think about it." She said mournfully, walking away. She stopped and looked back at Kitty. "This is all your fault."

Kitty blinked as Jess turned again and slowly walked away. "Okay…"

############====###########

Kurt tapped his earpiece. "Okay. Ted, you with me?"

"Read you loud and clear."

"What's going on on your end?"

"Microphones working…"

"Joey?"

"Set is set."

He nodded to himself and glanced around the curtain. "Greg?"

There was a click in his ear as Greg switched on his microphone. "All cast are warmed up and suitable stage frightened."

Kurt grinned. "Carl will be down there in a second to take over. Break a leg. Todd, props're all set?"

His microphone clicked in. "We're ready to rock and roll!"

He glanced at the audience again. They were pretty much all settled. Opening night had almost filled the auditorium. He grinned and touched his earpiece one last time. "Mike, we're all ready down here if you want to cue the lights."

The crackling in his ear sounded almost nervous.

Kurt frowned and stood up, putting his clipboard back on the table. "Mike?"

"Uhh… Kurt? Greg's not online, is he?"

"No… But I am." He said, warningly. "Something wrong?"

Mike laughed nervously. "Yeah… um… what do we do… if the lighting board won't connect to the power…?"

Kurt sighed and put a hand to his head. "You're kidding me."

"It was working fine this afternoon!"

"You have got to be kidding me." Figures. Everything had worked fine all week after they'd made new costumes. Now, Wednesday night, OPENING night, and everything was going wonderful except for the most frikking important technical aspect!!! Kurt somehow managed to keep from teleporting up to the lighting box to kill him. "Okay. Can you fix it?"

"Um… maybe… no?"

He closed his eyes, feeling his jaw working hard. "What do you mean?"

Now Mike was starting to panic. "I mean that everything looks fine but somehow the board is not on!"

Kurt switched frequencies, irritated. "Ted."

"Yah huh?"

"Get to the lighting box. Now." He snapped.

Across the theatre, Ted frowned at his assistant. "What's with you?"

He sighed. "Sorry. But it's opening night and we have no LIGHTING BOX!"

Ted swore. "I'm on it."

"Thanks." He pushed his earpiece and microphone down onto his neck and looked around. The clock said they still had five minutes until start. He swore and ran a hand through his hair before something clicked on the equipment at his neck. He held it up his ear resignedly. "Ja?"

It was Carl, the cue-director. "What's going on, Kurt? Where are the cues?"

"We've got a problem." He sighed. "Warm them up some more. We've still got five minutes. Ish."

He could almost hear the rolling of Carl's eyes. "Good luck."

Kurt laughed weakly. "Ja. Sure."

"Something wrong?"

He jumped and turned. "Jess?" he frowned at her. "Nothing, go back to the rest of the cast!"

"I just want to try something." She said.

"What are you doing up here? You're meant to be downstairs!" he whispered hoarsely.

"I know, but I've been thinking the last few days." She whispered back. "I haven't seen you and the rest of…" she glanced around. Catching sight of the set designers, she frowned. "…our gifted society? But I've been thinking a lot, and I know I screwed up."

He stared at her. "Now is hardly the time to apologise for something that happened months ago!"

"Not months ago." She said softly. "A few weeks ago."

He blinked.

"Tabitha wasn't lying. I'm the reason you haven't wanted to see her lately."

He shook his head. "I don't care, and I don't want to hear anything about her right now. So unless you can find me a reason for the lighting failing, I want to see you downstairs three seconds ago."

"Stop being a stage manager for a while, would you?" she snapped quietly. "I think I can fix it."

"I don't care!" he almost yelled, but stopped himself in time, lowering it back to a stage whisper. "I don't care, Jess. I keep telling you, everyday, I don't care. And besides… I've got a lot more important things to worry about right now."

"This is your life, isn't that important?"

"No!" he grinned helplessly. "It isn't. In four hours, Jess, I will listen to your ramble more than happily. I will write it down six times, but right now, I'm meant to be managing a show in… two minutes… that doesn't have lighting. Do you understand that I might be a little preoccupied?"

"But-"

"Go. Down. Stairs." He said, pointing. "And tell Carl to ready the first scene. I'll have it fixed."

"But-"

"Please, Jess!" he turned and looked out the curtain again, up at the lighting box. He fitted the earpiece back on his ear and tapped it back to Ted's frequency. "What's going on?"

Jess glared at him for a moment, then folded her arms and concentrated.

But a full minute later, nothing had happened. Kurt growled into the microphone. "You're sure it isn't just a loose plug?" He listened for a moment. "Okay, I can stall for five minutes. Will that be enough?"

It evidently was, because Kurt turned and finally noticed Jess, glaring intently at him. He stared at her. "What are you still doing here?"

"What?"

He held his hands apart, amazed. "You're in the third scene. They're warming up downstairs. I told you to go. Why are you here?"

She blinked. "Do you… you don't… feel any different… do you…" she sighed.

He shook his head, slightly annoyed.

She closed her eyes and felt her head drop slightly. "I'm going." She said, then picked up her skirt and started back toward the green room.

She glanced back just before she hit the stairway doors. He was disappearing through the curtain. She growled. "Fine. I'm changing the rules." She furrowed her brow as she started down the stairs, concentrating on a temporary emotion.

Kurt grinned at the audience, looking around at the house lights. If things weren't fixed soon, they'd have to use those. The audience quieted and looked up at him. "Hi. We're having… technical… difficulties… in fact, we've lost half our technical ability." He smiled weakly. "So um, we're trying to fix the problem, but it's going to take a few minutes. So if you'd just… talk for a little while… that'd be… thanks." He grinned and nodded, before turning toward the curtain again.

"HOLD IT!"

Kurt froze and turned back to the audience. In the middle of the back row, Tabitha was standing up, Fred staring from his position beside her. She snarled and forced her way from her seat. "You don't move, Wagner."

He glanced at the audience, a mixture of confusion, irritation and amusement flowing up to him. He laughed nervously again and stared at her, willing her to sit back down. Now was not a good time…

"You." She said, forcefully, marching down the aisle. "You and I need to talk. Now."

He stared at her. "You are joking."

"Here and now." She growled.

"You've got to be joking." He murmured, taking a step back.

############====###########

Downstairs in the green room, Jess cocked her head at the sudden wave of emotions from above. She grinned.

############====#######################====###########

I'm gonna get started on the next chapter, so this might be a double post. Eep. Later dudes, and sorry about all this!


	12. And that second try's ending

****

DISCLAIMER: _I resent the word potential. I hate potential. Three of my teachers keep calling home to tell my parents I have potential. Myah, grah._

Tabitha sighed. Things hadn't gone as planned all week. She kept missing Kurt in the halls, and when she did run into him, she didn't even get a smile or even an acknowledgment of her existence.

It sucked that there wasn't even a chance of him ever liking her again. All this twisted and confusing emotional bull was getting to her.

She gasped slightly as he came on stage, apologising for some technical thing. She gasped again as a flash shot through her head, making her close her eyes from pain.

Fred looked down at her. "Tabby? You okay?"

She blinked and looked up at him. "Yeah." But she wasn't happy. She glared up at Kurt as he finished his little speech, finding herself suddenly incredibly ticked off.

"HOLD IT!"

Fred flinched back as Tabitha shot to her feet, glaring and pointing at Kurt. "You don't move, Wagner!"

He gaped as she pushed her way past the other spectators, toward the aisle. He stared around, thanking any deity that was listening that the other X-men weren't there tonight.

She bared her teeth, freeing her leg of the row and practically spitting. "You!"

Kurt was staring at her, dumbfounded, as she started toward him, yelling. "You and I need to talk." When he didn't say anything, she actually growled. "Now!"

He shook his head. "You are joking…"

"Here and now." She snapped.

He laughed nervously. "You've got to be joking…"

She shook her head. "I'm not joking. I am not happy. Can you see me smiling? Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Tabitha, we can do this later."

"No we can't!" she snapped back. "We do it now. When you can't just disappear."

He rolled his eyes resignedly and stepped back, holding open the curtain. "Fine…"

She hauled herself up to the stage and grabbed his shirt to pull him after her as she disappeared from Fred's view.

He and the rest of the audience blinked.

############====###########

"What the hell is your problem?!" demanded Kurt, as quietly as he could.

"You are." She snapped. "I'm sick and tired of just going along with this. I refuse to break up with you!"

He slapped his hands to his face and pushed back his hair. "We're not together!"

"We are. The fact is Kurt, we are, and that's why you're being such a bastard these days!" she snapped, poking him roughly. "We're never going to properly break up until you learn to face a few facts!"

"WHAT-" he scrunched his eyes tightly closed, then looked at her. "Okay… what are you talking about?"

She folded her arms. "You aren't angry at me."

"I beg to differ." He deadpanned.

"Well, I know better." She stopped and looked to the side, wondering why that sounded odd, before continuing to glare at him. "Look, all the REAL reasons you gave me for not liking me anymore? They were lousy. And they weren't about me. Okay, so I can relate to them, and I do have a few of them, but what you really don't like is that that's how YOU act, not how I act, and you know that, so it pisses you off!"

He stared at her for a few moments. "You've lost your mind. This last few weeks have really screwed with your head, haven't they?" he smiled nervously. "You can't handle someone not wanting to spend every other day with you."

"That's bullshit and you know it." She snapped back. "Those things you said to me- acting insane so no one will ever see you hurt. Sound familiar?"

He glared at her, but didn't answer.

"I forget the past and pray it won't happen again? Hello?"

He looked away from her eyes.

"I laugh and close my eyes, so no one will see me cry." She smirked as he turned further away. "While deep down inside, all YOU want is someone to hold you and take all the pain away. Or am I missing the point entirely?"

His eyes turned back to her face and, for a few moments, they just glared at each other. The radio around his neck suddenly crackled back into life and Kurt turned away, raising the earpiece again. "Ja?"

"The lighting cable wasn't connected."

"What?"

Ted laughed. "Mike couldn't find the lighting cable. So it seemed like the entire board was offline."

He blinked and smiled. "Yeah. Thanks. So we're ready to go?"

"Any time you are."

He nodded to himself and adjusted the frequency, walking away from Tabitha. "Okay, Carl? We're set. Yeah, just some stupid problem. Send 'em up."

Tabitha cocked her head at him. "What? Nothing to say to me anymore?"

He paused and looked back at her. "We're putting a lot of people on stage in two minutes. Unless you can recite Shakespeare and materialise a costume, you're gonna have to get going."

"Chicken." She muttered. He raised a lazy hand and saluted with one finger over his shoulder, leaving her to walk off in the other direction.

############====###########

Kurt leaned on his fist, watching Pietro run around the stage from the wings.

This was pathetic. I mean, who was she to tell him he was a coward? That he wanted someone to take care of him?

He rubbed his ear absently, glaring at his clipboard.

Bitch.

He'd sat through the entire play, fuming silently. Intermission had run very smoothly. He'd been polite, grinning and laughing, telling everyone they were fabulous. Surprisingly, Jess had avoided him, for which he was eternally grateful.

He glared at Lance and Kitty, holding each other lovingly as Rogue and Chaz waltzed off stage.

Stupid Kitty.

Making trouble for herself. Honestly. Just because she didn't have Lance for a boyfriend, she tried to convince herself she was in love with Kurt. Dammit. She was always doing that! And he was always letting her!

Whenever she broke up with Lance, she would try and tell herself that there was something else that she'd been waiting for. That she'd been missing something for a long time. Something that was always there, being her friend when things were down. Someone who would go along with the flirting despite everything else…

He blanched, staring at Kitty.

Oh God… he was doing the exact same thing with her.

Oh for the love of…

He turned his head and buried his face in his palm.

############====###########

Rogue frowned at him.

Kurt was silently driving, concentrating on the road alone, and neither Kitty nor herself could jerk him out his thoughts. They'd stayed behind, cleaning up the theatre, but Kurt had been lost even then, thinking hard. He'd barely spoken to them aside to say they could go home now.

Ororo had leant them her car for the night, an apology for the others not being able to come on opening night. Kurt, being the only safe and legal driver among them, had been entrusted with the keys. Kitty was forced into the back, as Rogue didn't even trust her near the radio, let alone close enough to play with the stick.

Kurt slowed as they rolled toward the gate, waiting for it to open but never stopping. He glanced up at the stars. What was he supposed to do now? Just waltz up to Tabitha and forgive, not to mention ask for forgiveness? And what about Kitty? Just wave her off too?

He stopped the car beside the steps, smiling at Rogue. "I'll put it back in the garage, you can go inside."

She raised an eyebrow. "Sure. I'll go start looking for leftovers."

He smiled and nodded, then glanced back at Kitty, who just smiled. "I'll keep you company." She said.

Rogue climbed out of the car and went inside. She could hear Ororo telling the New Mutants to go to bed, with Bobby and Jubilation objecting loudly. She smirked and glanced into the dining room as she passed it. Scott and Jean were sitting on opposite ends of the table, working on what looked like revision. She shuddered inwardly and moved on.

Five minutes later, she was leaning on the kitchen counter, waiting for the microwave to finish. Her boredom was brought to a sudden halt by the door opening.

Kurt wandered in, smiled lazily at Rogue and glanced into the microwave.

"It's some sort of chicken casserole." She explained. "I put some in for you and Kitty too."

"Kitty's not coming back downstairs tonight, I think." He said, straightening. "But let me check. A girl turning and running up the stairs generally means she doesn't want to talk to you anymore, right?"

Rogue nodded.

"Oh. Okay." He opened the fridge. "Um… Rogue, am I an idiot?"

She blinked at him. "You know what I want to say to that." She grinned.

"Just… pretend I'm not the fuzzy dude for a second, okay? Be serious." he turned to her seriously. "Am I an idiot? This whole thing with Tabitha, Lance, Kitty… am I an idiot?"

She frowned and looked away as the microwave beeped. "That depends on the situation. I don't know."

"I think I am." He said. "I think I am most definitely an idiot." He sighed and looked at the bottle of water he'd taken out. "And becoming more so by the minute."

"Why?"

"Because I realised something tonight. Several somethings. And I think I should apologise to Tabitha."

"Is that what's made you so quiet tonight?"

He nodded.

She handed him one of the bowls of casserole and picked up a fork, toying with her own. "Well. I don't like her, you know that."

"I know."

"So of course I think you should tell Kitty you love her and accept that instead…"

"Yep."

She picked up a piece of chicken and pointed it at him. "But you won't, because you know that's not the right thing to do."

"Mmhm."

"So I think…"

He looked up, chewing slowly.

"…I think… you should… stop thinking." She shrugged and popped the chicken in her mouth. "And concentrate on that history test we have tomorrow."

He gazed at her for several minutes, as they ate in silence. Eventually he smiled and nodded. "So you know when the Saxons crossed to England? I can never remember that."

############====###########

Tabitha opened her locker, then frowned. Something felt off.

She pulled back and looked around. Kurt was leaning on the locker beside hers, gazing at the people opposite. "I hate you." He informed her, still not looking at her.

She turned back to her locker silently.

"I mean, of all the things and ways to embarrass me, you had to get up and do it in front of an entire audience?"

"Well, technically, I didn't." she said, blushing slightly. She couldn't believe she'd done that.

"Technically." He agreed, then glanced at her. "But technically I still hate you."

She took out a book and closed her locker. "Technically?"

He nodded, then frowned. "You want to get married?"

Tabitha burst out laughing. "WHAT?"

"Just a question." He glanced at her, serious. "Do you ever plan to get married?"

She shook her head, grinning. "I hadn't thought about it."

"Hm." He nodded to himself, then pushed off the locker and walked into the crowd of people.

Tabitha stared after him. He hadn't smiled once, had told her he hated her, and asked her if she wanted to get married. She laughed, zipping up her bag. He'd lost his mind. He must have.

############====###########

"Lance?"

He looked up, scowling as he saw Kitty.

She put her books down beside the gas taps. "This seat taken?"

He shook his head. "Knock yourself out."

"Thanks." She sat down and started sorting everything out. Then she looked up at the blackboard silently, waiting. Lance cleared his throat and focussed on his gloves. If she wanted to play this game all lesson, then so could he.

It wasn't until the lesson was winding down that either of them even acknowledged the other. Lance started slightly as a small piece of paper hit his knuckles. He unfolded it, glancing over at Kitty, focussed on the board.

_Hey_.

He chuckled and picked up his pen.

_Hey yourself_.

He tossed it back across the table and started copying down a list of equipment. The paper landed in the front of him again.

_Have you got the time?_

_2.35_.

_Will you have it tomorrow at the mall at ten?_

He stared at her. She smiled hopefully and raised her eyebrows. He shook his head and picked up his pen again. _Well, you know I'm pretty busy looking down the cheerleader's tops, so I don't think so_.

_I guess I deserve that_.

He sighed, scowling to himself. _Don't you have someone of your own?_

She rolled her shoulders, glancing at the teacher before looking back down at her notes. _No. I don't think I've even got a friend right now._ She drew an unhappy face and tossed it to him.

_That isn't good enough, Pretty Kitty_.

_What do you from me? I'm sorry!_

_I know that_.

_So what do you want??!!_

_I don't know._

Kitty looked at the paper, then met his eyes slowly. She bit her lip and looked away as the bell rang.

Lance stayed in his seat, watching her as the other students rushed from the room.

Kitty sighed and started to pack her things away. "I was wrong."

"Yeah." He snapped. "You were."

"I've been wrong before, you know."

He nodded and picked up his textbook, pushing it beneath his notebook. "Yeah. You have. More than I count."

She looked at him carefully, pulling the books against her. "Okay then." She nodded and left the classroom.

Lance sighed and sank into his chair again. "Okay then."

############====###########

Jess glared at Scott. "You need a back bone."

He leaned his elbow on the window and smiled blandly. "Do you want a ride or to be told to jump off a cliff?"

"No, I'm perfectly serious." She said, leaning over Rogue in the passenger seat. "You're all great when it comes to life and death situations, but this whole thing with you and Jean is getting pathetic."

Kitty walked up with Evan. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of a slasher movie, you know?"

He bounced his head in indecision. "It's kind of a slasher movie."

"_Panic Room_ is not slasher. There's no random guy in a mask and you know who the bad guy is from the outset. There's only one teenager." She argued, putting her bag and books in the back seat. "How about you pick up _Panic_ and_… I know what you did Last Summer_?"

"_I know what you did Last Summer_?" Evan made a face. "Jennifer Love?"

"It's a cool movie."

"Fine. See you guys back at the mansion!" said Evan, dumping his bag beside Kitty's. He put down his skateboard and took off. Rogue tilted her head past Jess's armband, looking for Kurt.

############====###########

"I think it's pi squared." Said Kurt, scratching his head.

"Pi R squared." Corrected Jarred. "Has to be."

"Isn't that the volume?" asked Amanda.

The boys shook their heads thoughtfully. "Don't think so…"

Kurt caught sight of Scott's car and smiled at the couple. "You guys coming to the play tonight?"

Jarred nodded. "I haven't seen my counterparts actually perform yet."

He grinned. "Checking out the competition?"

"Something like that."

"Cool. Well, I'll see you guys tonight." He grinned, waving. Someone grabbed his arm and he froze, turning. He blinked at Tabitha.

She glared at him for a moment silently. He still didn't smile. He didn't even speak. But there was something…

She smiled and put her head to the side thoughtfully. "Hm." She let go and walked away, toward Lance's van.

Kurt smirked and turned back to Scott's car. "Cool." He murmured.

############====#######################====###########

__

I resent the fact that I only half managed to make this ending work. Grr to me.

Oh and yeah, this is kinda a SCW, for those who didn't get that. For the first time in a while, a review kept running through my head until I went back and fixed this. So yeah. Hopefully this is the real goodbye to this story… Later guys!


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